The UGT Union Section within the Orihuela Health Department has made public a resolution to initiate an investigation issued by the Síndic de Greuges of the Valencian Community. The ombudsman has accepted a complaint filed by the union and formally requested that the Ministry of Health send an urgent report regarding the situation of the Emergency Medical Assistance Service in the Vega Baja area.
This action follows a complaint lodged by the union delegate and legal representative of UGT in the department, Trinidad Cintas Bravo, addressing the lack of response from the health administration regarding repeated grievances over healthcare resource shortages and medical coverage gaps in specific emergency shifts.
UGT has warned for years about the progressive deterioration of urgent care in the Orihuela Health Department, highlighting a vulnerable situation affecting more than 170,000 inhabitants of the Vega Baja region due to insufficient medical coverage in emergency services. The union registered letters to the department’s management on July 31st, 2024 and August 20th, 2025, demanding immediate measures to guarantee adequate service coverage.
According to the ombudsman’s resolution, none of these communications received an express response from the administration. In response, UGT filed a formal complaint with the Valencian Ombudsman on July 24th. The decision to admit the complaint for processing notes evidence of a potential violation of the right to good administration and the right of citizens to receive an explicit response from public authorities, as recognised in the Statute of Autonomy of the Valencian Community and Law 2/2021 of the Valencian Ombudsman.
The union maintains that the insufficient provision of human resources in the emergency district of Orihuela creates conditions that compromise the quality and safety of urgent healthcare in Vega Baja. Reported issues include emergency units operating without an assigned doctor during certain shifts, increased response times for life-threatening emergencies, and growing workloads for remaining professionals. Sources stressed that the Ministry of Health has ignored professional warnings and failed to explain how it plans to guarantee safe, quality emergency care for regional residents.
The ombudsman’s resolution grants the regional ministry a period of one month to submit a detailed report on the reported events, explain the lack of response to documents submitted by UGT, and outline measures adopted or planned to ensure healthcare coverage. The agency warns that failing to cooperate with the investigation may breach institutional duties. UGT views the investigation as institutional backing for its warnings and an opportunity for the health administration to adopt measures preventing further degradation of public emergency services in Orihuela and Vega Baja.
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