The initiative aims to address the situation in primary care, specialist services, emergency departments and hospital care, while also hearing directly from healthcare users. The association wants to identify the problems affecting residents most and convey their complaints and demands.
Isabel Aina, spokesperson for the San José Neighborhood Association, explained that the assembly will begin with a presentation by the Health Commission on how healthcare is organized in the neighborhood, from primary care and emergency services to specialist and hospital care.
DELAYS, OVERCROWDING AND MENTAL HEALTH
The meeting will address some of the shortcomings the association regularly detects, including waiting times, staff shortages, a lack of space and overcrowding, care for chronic patients and problems related to mental health.
"We will also explain our commitment to defending public healthcare and the problems that exist, such as overcrowded facilities, delays, care for chronic patients and mental health," Aina said. The association will also explain its participation in bodies such as Health Councils, the Health Commission of the Federation of Neighborhoods and the Mental Health Platform.
One of the main objectives will be to ensure that the assembly is not limited to a presentation by the neighborhood organization. "There will also be time to listen to those attending, their perceptions and their priorities," the spokesperson explained. She added that residents will also be asked about issues on which they believe activities or training are needed.
PREVENTION AND THE DEFENSE OF PUBLIC HEALTHCARE
Possible initiatives include actions related to healthcare and risk prevention, allowing proposals from attendees themselves to guide the association’s next activities in the healthcare field.
The Health Commission also wants to use the event to promote habits that help prevent illness and encourage the proper use of healthcare resources. "The event also aims to raise awareness of the importance of looking after our health to avoid falling ill and using the healthcare system responsibly," Aina said.
At the same time, the association hopes to increase residents’ participation in demands related to healthcare in the neighborhood and "bring more people into the defense of our right to health and the future of public healthcare." The Open Assembly will therefore serve to gather experiences, set priorities and define new healthcare demands in San José.
