Àlex Gargallo, a 27-year-old resident of Lleida, has publicly denounced the care received at the Arnau de Vilanova hospital after a traumatology and surgery visit that, he affirms, arrived after almost eight months of waiting and lasted 90 seconds.
The young man presented his case on the social network X, where he recounted the discomfort generated by a consultation he considers insufficient to address a knee problem he has been suffering from for years. In his message, he explained that he has been living with Osgood Schlatter disease since he was 14 years old.
"After years with knee problems and almost eight months waiting for an appointment, the consultation with traumatology and surgery has lasted 90 seconds" - Àlex Gargallo
An ailment that he has been dragging since adolescence
Gargallo maintains that he is part of the small group of patients who do not overcome this pathology upon finishing adolescence. The ailment, he assures, has clearly conditioned his daily life to the point of having had to quit football five years ago now.
"I suffer from it since I was 14 years old and I am part of the small percentage of people who do not get cured after adolescence" - Àlex Gargallo
In his account, the man from Lleida recognizes that he understands that a surgical intervention may not be viable in his case, although he questions that no other alternative or answer was offered to him during the visit.
"I understand that I cannot have surgery, but I don't think my case is so serious as for me not to be able to do anything" - Àlex Gargallo
It is planned to file a formal complaint
After making his experience public, the patient is considering filing a formal complaint with the Arnau de Vilanova. For now, the hospital refers to the internal procedures established for this type of situation.
Spokespersons for the health center have indicated that they only respond to incidents that arrive through official channels, so any assessment or review of the case would be linked to the submission of that formal complaint. The public complaint from the resident of Lleida has also reopened the debate about waiting times and the attention perceived by some patients in specialized consultations.