SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, March 30 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Government of the Canary Islands and the Cabildo de La Gomera have inaugurated this Thursday the new socio-sanitary center located in the island capital, facilities that become the first to be completed within the framework of the II Plan of Socio-sanitary Infrastructures of the islands, through the that close to 16 million euros have been allocated to its execution, whose work began in 2019.
Located on the plot of the old island hospital, the new center, designed by Cabrera-Febles Arquitectos, executed by SANDO and by Industrias Pardo el furniture, has a surface area of three thousand square meters distributed over three floors and two basement levels, in which where the kitchen, dining room, laundry and other multipurpose spaces are located. In addition, the 82 rooms are distributed on the other levels, which have been oriented to take advantage of sunlight and improve the comfort of users, incorporating an energy self-sufficiency system, through photovoltaic energy.
Regarding socio-sanitary care, it has office areas, medical services, nursing, physiotherapy, geriatric baths and rehabilitation therapy rooms, the latter being one of the most advanced nationwide, with the possibility of developing different medical techniques for the well-being of users.
The President of the Canary Islands, Ángel Víctor Torres, expressed the Government’s satisfaction for “a job well done, which is part of the II Plan for Social and Health Infrastructures, and with which La Gomera has complied and which has 150 places that cover current demand, although the tender for another center in the north of the island is already underway to offer the elderly a place to sleep and share moments of their lives after giving so much for us”.
The head of the regional Executive indicated that this new infrastructure for the northern region will be paid for with the Third Social Health Plan or with European funds, although he believes that the most important thing is the island’s commitment to these services and with the Dependency Law to give “a dignified response to the elderly, dependents and people who need it, because that is what the Government of the Canary Islands has done in the last four years”. In this sense, he stressed the fact that “we have turned around the numbers in dependency; we have advanced in these plans and walked hand in hand with the council like that of La Gomera.”
Meanwhile, the president of the Cabildo, Casimiro Curbelo, emphasized that, with the conclusion of the works and the installation of the furniture, the administrative procedure for its opening has now begun. “We want the first users to enter in the shortest possible time, and begin to incorporate all the planned services, because with this infrastructure we will be able to respond to the current demand for socio-sanitary places”, he affirmed.
He recalled that the promotion of this infrastructure has been decisive in improving the assistance network that La Gomera has, whose forecast already includes the construction of a new center in the municipality of Agulo, to serve users from the northern municipalities. In addition, this same month a plot of land was ceded to the Cabildo by the Valle Gran Rey City Council, where another center will be located in this town. “In short, what we want is to improve the well-being of our elderly and offer quality services, without the need to go to centers on other islands,” he asserted.
Likewise, Curbelo thanked the Canary Islands Government for its commitment to the completion of these facilities and “the cooperation provided to advance the network model of centers that has been projected for the island.” In this sense, he appealed to continue in this line and face the challenges of a population with a growing demand for care services.
The mayor of San Sebastián de La Gomera, Adasat Reyes, emphasized the relevance of this infrastructure at the municipal level, since he explained that there are currently some forty people waiting for a social health place in the municipality. “Its implementation is necessary because we respond to social demand, in a space of the highest level with extraordinary services,” he said.
