28 Sep - 4 Oct 2017
Man dies after bad diagnosis AN insurance company working on behalf of the Andalucian Health Service (SAS) must pay €90,000 to the family of a dead man. The 78-year-old died seven days after a traffic accident, and a court in Malaga City concluded that the insurer failed to properly diagnose his injuries. He was riding his moped when it was hit by a bus, suffering a chest trauma and heavy bruising. But after several x-rays he was released from the Axarquia Hospital, returning the following day after being diagnosed with broken ribs. A CT scan performed six days after the accident revealed that he had also suffered a bruised and punctured lung and organ displacement, while air had become trapped under his skin. The victim was then left waiting for proper treatment, and he died 24 hours later, the court heard. The judge highlighted the fact that the CT scan should have been ordered when the broken ribs were first spotted.
€130,000 university transport VELEZ-MALAGA Council has renewed its grants for student transport. The Department of Youth has agreed to subisidise 61 per cent of the ticket price of students at the University of Malaga.
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Bled dry
Beach deaths on the up
Water shortage sparks fury
A TOTAL of 16 people have drowned in Malaga Province so far this year, according to a report by the Royal Spanish Federation of Rescue and Lifesaving (RFESS). Half of these deaths occurred on unmanned beaches, while another four bodies were found in ports and the remainder in rivers and swimming pools. These figures make the province the second highest for recorded drownings in Andalucia, only beaten by Cadiz who have had 20 deaths. It is also the 11th highest in Spain. The figure is fast approaching last year’s tally of 17 deaths, with three months of the year still to go. According to RFESS spokesperson, Carlos Porro, all these deaths occurred in areas without supervision, so one of the biggest causes was recklessness on the part of individuals.
EXCLUSIVE
Photo by Malcolm Coxall
ISSUE NO. 1682
By Sally Underwood Residents of Colmenar are up in arms after facing almost two months of water shortages. Two hundred people have signed a petition urging the council to hire a qualified engineer to manage the town’s water supply, while a formal complaint has been lodged with the Defensor del Pueblo in Madrid. According to Malcolm Coxall from Galway, Ireland, some homes and businesses no longer have any water, while several farms have had to stop harvesting crops because they cannot provide water for their employees. Mr Coxall a 62-year-old IT consultant who owns a 110acre farm in the area, blames drought caused by a shortage of supply in the village wells, as well as “poor management of water and infrastructure” on the part of the town hall of Colmenar for the problem. He claims that “despite the promise by the mayor of Colmenar to sort out the water problem by September 15, the situation has deteriorated quite seriously,” with the village centre as well as rural homes now affected. While the council has offered some support, promising 1,000 litres of water to every home without a supply, according to
WELLS RUN DRY: Malcolm Coxall’s farm and (inset) the almond harvest. Mr Coxall this only affects homes “within the centre of the village.” Malcolm explained he was forced to abandon 7,000 kilos of organic almonds because he could not harvest them and has “addressed the council on an almost daily basis,” but is “yet to
receive any reply or tangible action to solve the problem.” Colmenar’s water supply has been in jeopardy for years, according to Malcolm, but is now “becoming critical.” Blaming poor installation of pipework and tanks as well as the naturally high lime content
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in the water, which causes blockages, he claims the lack of consistent supply is “threatening the economic development of Colmenar residents.” While Mr Coxall accepts the council does contract workers to carry out repairs to the water network, he claims no efficient tender process is in place, meaning, “the same people get the work contracts all the time, with the same poor results.”