La Ribera healthcare platform calls for protest in Alzira

The Plataforma per la Defensa i Millora de la Sanitat Pública has organized a protest scheduled for Monday, September 28, at 11:30 a.m. in front of the Hospital de la Ribera in Alzira. The mobilization, held under the slogan ‘Perquè la Sanitat no és un negoci’ (Because healthcare is not a business), aims to address the progressive deterioration of public health services in the region.

Key demands from the platform include measures to reduce medical waiting lists and ensure that consultation schedules remain open at both health centers and the hospital to improve accessibility for tests and surgeries. Protesters are also highlighting the saturation of emergency services, noting that the facility currently treats between 400 and 500 people daily, a figure expected to rise during the winter months.

Additionally, the group is calling for increased hospital bed availability to address shortages and overcrowding. They are also protesting the diversion of patients to private healthcare providers, arguing that public resources should be used to reinforce the public system rather than being externalized.