Use of dirty bedding “and even with traces of feces”, use of pillowcases as towels, lack of air conditioning, waiting for diaper changes, beds that are too small, entire days in which the elderly only receive snacks to eat… This is the situation suffered by dependents, especially older people, cared for in the public centers of the Cabildo de Tenerife. It is denounced by the president of the Single Company Committee of the Institute of Social and Socio-Health Care (IASS), José Luis Gutiérrez. In a letter addressed to the president of the Island Corporation, Pedro Martín, he threatens to file a criminal complaint against those responsible for the island institution and the IASS “for the alleged crimes of harassment, degrading treatment and mistreatment against groups of the elderly, women, minors and people with capacity.”
Gutiérrez states in the document that on the 13th all the unions with representation in the IASS (ATC, CCOO, Satse and MIO) addressed the problem and agreed on the “serious situation” that the technical units are going through, as well as hospitals for the elderly , centers for minors, for women victims of sexist violence and for people with different abilities. This exchange of views took place during a meeting in which the representatives of the different centers highlighted the “serious shortage of personnel, both health and educational, as well as in the kitchen, cleaning and other areas.” “In addition, there is a serious lack of resources in our centers, since there is a lack of flat clothing, fixtures, equipment, furniture, supplies and other materials for customer service”exposed the representatives of the workers.
The Works Committee chaired by José Luis Gutiérrez maintains a very critical line with those responsible for the Cabildo, governed by PSOE and Ciudadanos, and the IASS since they eliminated the Ansina program in June 2020, which had been created by the previous governments of Canarian Coalition when the nationalists took social affairs. Gutiérrez himself filed a complaint for alleged irregularities in the plan – pending execution – to transfer patients from the Febles Campos hospital in Santa Cruz to new, more adequate and modern facilities in the Diocesan Seminary of La Laguna.
The Investigating Court No. 4 of Santa Cruz agreed in May to file the case when the judge confirmed that “there is no criminal evidence to support the complaint of the Company’s Committee of the organization and the Union Assembly of Workers of the Canary Islands.” The insular president, Pedro Martín, assured then that the judicial ruling “demonstrated that this lawsuit, presented and led by José Luis Gutiérrez, is part of a malicious strategy.”
Asked yesterday about this new complaint, the Cabildo refused to demonstrate. Yes, Pedro Martín spoke to the digital newspaper Atlántico Hoy. “The 16 writs have been a strategy to lay the foundations for this lawsuit; We already saw it coming.” “It’s an argument,” he told digital. Pedro Martín added that in the Febles Campos case “the judge proceeded to the file indicating that Gutiérrez had acted with a political interest”. Specifically, the filing order states that “it seems to be conveyed that the plaintiff only calls into question the management, procedures, projects, works and solutions to this serious social problem promoted by the government team contrary to the one it represents in this case the private prosecution.
In any case, the island president told Atlántico Hoy that Gutiérrez “has the right to present the complaints he deems appropriate.” “We will defend ourselves. Reason assists us and that the courts will put everything in its place », he clarified. The island councilor Javier Rodríguez, also from the socialist group, pointed out yesterday on Radio Club Tenerife that the new facts denounced by the Company Committee were being reviewed. He admitted that only sandwiches were given to the inmates of an Icod center for five days due to “a specific problem” with the cook.
In its letter, the Single Company Committee of the IASS indicates that the situation they denounce “is causing very serious damage to the integrity of users.” And he considers: “The situation is scandalous, the most serious and worst of those suffered in IASS centers and hospitals in recent years.” From now on, the story goes into detail about what, always according to its version, occurs in these spaces. As an example, it is pointed out that “when an elderly patient suffers from high summer temperatures due to lack of air conditioning in hospitals, he violates his rights.” “When older patients have to wait for a diaper change or after bathing, due to lack of towels, they are dried with a diaper/underpad or a pillowcase, their dignity is violated.”
“Mistreatment of dignity”
The document continues: “They also denounce that due to lack of bedding, users must sometimes be put to bed with dirty sheets or pillowcases and even with traces of feces that are covered as best they can. The situation represents a mistreatment of the dignity of older users. Next, it refers to other venues outside the area of the elderly. “The representatives cannot admit that due to a lack of educational personnel, in a home for minors, or people with different capacities, they cannot be treated satisfactorily and their rights are violated.” It also includes: «They denounce that, when due to lack of personnel in the women’s center, minors are put at risk, pretending that a single worker attends to all the minors when their mothers are not in the center, reckless imprudence is committed ; or that, when a baby cannot be bathed due to lack of water in a center, her dignity and most basic rights are violated ».
Gutiérrez lists up to 16 letters addressed to the president of the IASS, Marián Franquet, of which, he assures, “he has not answered a single one.” In this scenario, it requires the insular president so that in a maximum of 30 days the modification of the list of jobs of the IASS labor personnel that had been agreed upon be approved by the Insular Government Council, as well as guaranteeing the provision of goods and basic materials and a stable supply of water in all the centers. And they warn that, otherwise, he will take legal action.
