Malaga hospital scandal: 94-year-old patient spends over 24 hours on A&E stretcher

Zoom

Unions at the Clínico hospital warn of 'structural collapse' as 18 fragile patients await beds and staffing shortages leave wards closed

José Antonio Sau

Wednesday, 11 February 2026, 17:37

Rosario, a 94-year-old Malaga resident, was rushed by ambulance to the Emergency department (A&E) of the Hospital Clínico Universitario Virgen de la Victoria at 12.30pm on Tuesday. She was suffering from critically low haemoglobin levels.

"Since then, she has had transfusions, but everything has been done on an emergency stretcher," her son, José Antonio Bermúdez, told SUR. He claims his mother spent more than 24 hours in the Observation area because there were no hospital beds available on the wards, nor even any chairs for her to sit on.

While the patient has now been moved to a bed within the Observation unit, she spent a full day on a basic mobile stretcher.

"The doctor tells us he wants to do tests and move her to a ward, but there are no beds or chairs. They are hoping one might become free tonight. My mother is in a terrible state; she isn't eating, she has arthritis in her back, and she is extremely uncomfortable. It’s a disaster," Bermúdez said.

"This is chronic, there are usually 25 or 30 patients a day in the ER waiting for a bed, it is a structural problem," says the president of the Junta de Personal del Clínico, Juan Antonio Martos

Juan Antonio Martos, president of the Clínico’s staff committee, confirmed that as of Wednesday afternoon, 18 patients in the Emergency department were still waiting for a bed on a ward. "This is chronic," he said. "There are usually 25 to 30 patients waiting every day. It is a structural problem; the local population has doubled in recent years, but we lack the beds to match."

Martos pointed out that while the new Virgen de la Esperanza hospital is planned, it will take six or seven years to complete. Meanwhile, existing facilities like the Respiratory Unit - which has five beds and two chairs - remain closed. "They could open it immediately, but we have another problem: a lack of human resources, especially nurses and nursing assistants (TCAEs)," he explained..

Union outcry

Following the complaint, all unions representing the hospital staff issued a joint statement describing the Observation area as being overcrowded with "X-stretchers."

These, they argue, are being used for "fragile, elderly patients with multiple pathologies" for prolonged periods. "These stretchers cannot be considered hospital beds and do not meet the necessary conditions for long stays," the statement read.The unions also denounced the "constant presence" of vulnerable patients sitting in chairs for hours or even days.

This saturation, they claim, has led to a "blocked circuit," increasing waiting times and "compromising patient safety and clinical outcomes."

In a stark warning, the staff committee stated that there have already been "unfavourable clinical outcomes" for patients held on stretchers in the Observation area - a situation they described as deeply concerning from an "assistance, organisational, and human perspective."

The situation is also taking a toll on staff. The unions highlighted "elevated levels of stress, exhaustion, and burnout" among healthcare workers forced to operate in an environment of "chronic saturation."

The staff committee and unions are now demanding that the hospital's management and the Andalusian Health Service (SAS) take urgent action. This includes the immediate opening of the Respiratory Unit to move fragile patients into proper beds and a complete review of the hospital's organisation to ensure "safe and dignified" healthcare.

At the time of publication, SUR is awaiting an official explanation from the hospital management.