The Health Department of La Ribera (Alzira) began to be publicly managed on 1 April 2018, following the reversal. A year has since passed. In my opinion, more than enough time to draw conclusions about its performance for citizens and professionals alike. Valuations that, as you may have read in my previous two blog entries, are fairly deplorable. However, the champions of this improvised and uncoordinated plan continue to ‘flog’ it as a great (ideological) success, not as a great (management) success, and you don’t have to wade through too many newspapers to see how the Dénia Hospital has also joined the fray. It never rains but it pours.
It seems that the applause of public acts lead one to lose objectivity because, based on the healthcare data recorded both in Alzira and the remaining health areas of the Community of Valencia, coupled with the huge economic expense incurred in fulfilling the reversal promise -carried out, hypothetically, for voters who never asked for it-, if we fall into the same trap again, the Valencian public health system will invariably be doomed to going backwards. A flashback to the 80s.
Many voices have joined the ranks in favour of our management model, which is why, in this ‘series of catastrophic misfortunes’ (see Netflix), dedicated to the reversal of the Alzira Hospital, it would be unfair not to highlight the major role played by Javier Palau, its former manager and current Project Director of Ribera Salud.
Javier Palau arrived in Alzira after requesting a leave of absence in the benchmark public hospital of the Valencian Community, La Fe University and Polytechnic Hospital, where he held the position of Medical Director. He did so for the reason that many professionals who decide to move to hospitals of public-private collaboration claim, that of having greater flexibility in management. His extensive experience, his strategic vision, as well as his analytical capacity and dialogue have turned him into the best spokesman we could have to introduce a calm debate -of which he has never given up- in the face of sectarianism.
At La Ribera he performed an exceptional job. In fact, prior to being dismissed on Sunday, 1 April 2018, at eight o’clock in the morning, along with other managers (9 of them have already been reinstated), he wanted to present to society -with complete transparency- a balance sheet of the current situation of the centre’s indicators, and even dared to predict many of the problems that have taken place. Shall we travel back in time and compare?
Next, I would like to share with you the last editorial that Javier Palau has written for the newspaper ‘Levante’, as well as to highlight his participation this week at a discussion panel organised by the specialist publication ‘Redacción Médica’.
Javier, I will always be grateful to you for the trust placed in our company and for not ceasing in your effort to showcase our management model throughout the world.
My heartfelt thanks.
