Garachico Pediatrician Shortage Delays Infant Vaccinations, Angering Parents
A Garachico health center's lack of a pediatrician, following a staff transfer, has left parents worried about delayed vaccinations and uncertain pediatric care for their children.
Amanda Acosta Gorrín, who lives in Garachico, had her three-month-old son vaccinated with his routine shots on Monday, October 13th. Her pediatrician scheduled him for the bronchiolitis vaccine the following Monday, October 20th. However, he didn't get the vaccine because the Villa y Puerto health center was without a pediatrician for about a week. The Canary Islands Ministry of Health says this will be resolved by Thursday, October 23rd.
According to the Ministry, the pediatrics service will be back to its regular schedule (Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays) starting Thursday, October 23rd. They stated the lack of a pediatrician only happened "last Monday, October 20th, as a one-off incident. Appointments had to be cancelled due to staff changes." They added, "The primary care management team in Tenerife has taken steps to ensure the pediatrics clinic at the Garachico center is covered."
The regular pediatrician, who was very experienced, requested a transfer, which was approved. The Ministry of Health didn't replace her, and according to Amanda Acosta Gorrín, the next available appointment for pediatrics at the health center isn't until November 3rd. This is the date shown on the Canarian Health Service (SCS) mobile app when trying to book an appointment for her children.
Yaiza González Vico, also from Garachico and mother to a nine-year-old, urgently needed a doctor's appointment on Tuesday, October 21st. Her son wasn't feeling well after school. She was surprised to find there was no pediatrician and that the center's administration had no information about the absence.
González Vico worries that "the service will be lost, even though it had been getting worse recently because the pediatrician was shared with other centers." She's referring to the fact that the pediatrician for the children of Garachico also works in other towns in Tenerife twice a week. She complained on social media, and the mayor of Garachico, Heriberto González, responded by explaining the transfer situation.
In the meantime, it's unclear when Amanda Acosta Gorrín's three-month-old son will get his fifth vaccine. On Thursday, October 16th, the Garachico health center called to tell her not to bring her baby in for his scheduled vaccine on Monday the 20th. She asked what the alternative was. "They said I could come by, and the nurse would be there. But the nurse can't give the shot without a pediatrician's approval," she explained.
She was then told to call on Tuesday, October 23rd, to ask about the vaccine again. "The answer was that they still didn't know anything," she said. She's understandably worried because her son isn't getting the necessary vaccines for a baby his age on time. The vaccine he needs protects against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), which is the main cause of bronchiolitis and pneumonia in infants. It's given based on the baby's birth date.
Both mothers are surprised by the lack of a basic health service like pediatrics and the lack of information about it. Acosta Gorrín said she didn't expect this at all, since "our regular pediatrician said goodbye on Monday, October 13th, and told us she'd see us next Monday for the next vaccine. We don't understand what's going on," she said. Besides her three-month-old son, she also has an eight-year-old daughter.