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HEALTH

Spain in grips of new viral challenge that puts the POO into pool

Health chiefs have slammed what appears to be a new viral challenge that dares young people to defecate in public swimming pools.

Published: 5 August 2019 10:34 CEST
Spain in grips of new viral challenge that puts the POO into pool
Photo: Inflatabile poo emoji at alibaba.com

Several public swimming pools across the Valencia region, including a water park, have had to close for a thorough cleaning after excrement was detected in the water.

Local newspaper El Periódico Mediterráneo reported that the recent spate of pool closures was due to a craze among young people to “hacer caca” – do a poo – in the water without being caught.

Public pools in Catarroja, Massanassa and Tavernes Blanques in the Valencia region have been closed in recent weeks and last week it was the turn of the water park at Segóbriga after one lifeguard fished out two floaters within an hour.

“Nothing like this has happened in 19 years,” said a spokesman from Segóbriga Park. “It’s disgusting”.

Although traces of fecal matter are to be found in every public pool, deliberate defecation heightens the rish of potentially dangerous bacteria spreading.

Health authorities warned of the public health risk posed by such actions with the council at Tavernes Blanques branding it “acts of vandalism”.

 

READ ALSO: Valencia opens first ocean pool (where you can watch Jaws while floating on a lilo)

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HEALTH

Lengthy waiting times at Danish hospitals not going away yet: minister

Danish Minister for the Interior and Health Sophie Løhde has warned that, despite increasing activity at hospitals, it will be some time before current waiting lists are reduced.

Published: 10 May 2023 15:09 CEST
Lengthy waiting times at Danish hospitals not going away yet: minister

The message comes as Løhde was set to meet with officials from regional health authorities on Wednesday to discuss the progress of an acute plan for the Danish health system, launched at the end of last year in an effort to reduce a backlog of waiting times which built up during the coronavirus crisis.

An agreement with regional health authorities on an “acute” spending plan to address the most serious challenges faced by the health services agreed in February, providing 2 billion kroner by the end of 2024.

READ ALSO: What exactly is wrong with the Danish health system?

The national organisation for the health authorities, Danske Regioner, said to newspaper Jyllands-Posten earlier this week that progress on clearing the waiting lists was ahead of schedule.

Some 245,300 operations were completed in the first quarter of this year, 10 percent more than in the same period in 2022 and over the agreed number.

Løhde said that the figures show measures from the acute plan are “beginning to work”.

“It’s positive but even though it suggests that the trend is going the right way, we’re far from our goal and it’s important to keep it up so that we get there,” she said.

“I certainly won’t be satisfied until waiting times are brought down,” she said.

“As long as we are in the process of doing postponed operations, we will unfortunately continue to see a further increase [in waiting times],” Løhde said.

“That’s why it’s crucial that we retain a high activity this year and in 2024,” she added.

Although the government set aside 2 billion kroner in total for the plan, the regional authorities expect the portion of that to be spent in 2023 to run out by the end of the summer. They have therefore asked for some of the 2024 spending to be brought forward.

Løhde is so far reluctant to meet that request according to Jyllands-Posten.

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