The Tenerife Primary Care services registered a slight increase in ophthalmological and respiratory conditions in the areas of La Orotava and Güímar over the weekend due to the enormous columns of smoke and ash generated by the fire that devastated the Corona Forestal de Tenerifebut without serious situations, reported yesterday the Ministry of Health of the Government of the Canary Islands. Some of these columns have reached more than 6 kilometers and the ash has covered many towns in the North, South and Metropolitan Area, something that had not happened with such intensity in other fires.
The quality of the air as a consequence of the smoke columns went from “unfavorable” to “very unfavorable” yesterday in 22 of the 31 Tenerife municipalities, and in particular in Los Realejos, La Orotava and Arafo, as reported by the Emergency Coordination Center and Security 112. On the northern slope of Tenerife, in addition to the aforementioned municipalities, the air quality is also very unfavorable in El Sauzal, La Matanza de Acentejo, La Victoria de Acentejo, Santa Úrsula, Puerto de la Cruz, Los Realejos, Buenavista del Norte, Los Silos, Garachico, Icod de los Vinos, La Guancha and San Juan de la Rambla. In the south of Tenerife, in addition to Arafo, the air is very unfavorable in Candelaria, Güímar, Fasnia and Arico. Also included in this list are the towns in the Tenerife Metropolitan Area, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, El Rosario and La Laguna.
Sanitary reinforcements
Faced with this threat to the health of the islanders, the Primary Care Management of Tenerife maintains reinforcement health teams in the health centers of Los Realejos, La Orotava, Tacoronte and the Basic Health Zone of Santa Úrsula, La Matanza and La Victoria de Acentejo, to meet the demand for assistance in the face of the fire. The reinforcement of the provision of necessary material and medication is also maintained in the health centers of all the affected municipalities in the north and south of the Island.
In this way, during the day a double team of Medicine and Nursing remains in the Normal Emergency Service (SNU) of the Los Realejos health center and the health center of La Orotava will be reinforced with a team of Medicine and Nursing, as well as the Continuing Care points of Tacoronte and the Basic Health Zone of Santa Úrsula, La Matanza and La Victoria de Acentejo, the latter at night. Support teams will also continue to work to assess the evicted people who have been displaced to the sports halls and residences for the elderly. Likewise, the central warehouse of material for the provision of medication and the provision of oxygen is kept active in case its use is necessary in the health centers of the affected municipalities.
A total of 22 of the 31 municipalities on the island register “very unfavorable” air quality.
After the evacuation of the areas affected by the flames, the peripheral clinics of Ravelo, Chamiana, La Corujera and Palo Blanco have been closed, with the health teams being displaced to other reference centers to attend to the scheduled activity with their patients. In the case of the Ravelo peripheral clinic, the two family care units have been moved to the San Juan de los Perales centers, in Tacoronte, and to the El Sauzal health center, respectively. The teams will contact their patients by phone to tell them the center to go to for the scheduled activity.
The health personnel from the Chamiana peripheral clinic, in La Matanza, and La Corujera, in Santa Úrsula, have been transferred to the reference health centers in both towns, where they will attend the activity that had been scheduled. Meanwhile, the teams from the Palo Blanco peripheral office, in Los Realejos, have joined the local health center and have joined the initial clinical assessments in the pavilions and centers set up for people evicted from that area.
The Ministry of Health asks the population to be prudent and follow the recommendations in the event of episodes like this caused by smoke from the fire, which is made up of a mixture of gases and small particles that are emitted by the combustion of vegetation and construction materials. construction and of another type, being able to produce respiratory effects in healthy and vulnerable people.
Tips for the population
The Ministry of Health of the Government of the Canary Islands reminds the population of the main recommendations to take into account in the event of forest fire episodes such as the one that is currently active on the island of Tenerife.
The sensitive population and risk groups in these risk situations due to fire smoke are people with previous respiratory or heart diseases, such as asthma, chronic bronchitis and emphysema; boys and girls, pregnant women and the elderly; and to those people who perform intense physical activity.
The main symptoms are coughing, eye, nose or throat irritation; shortness of breath deeply, chest discomfort, palpitations, fatigue and aggravation of symptoms in people with previous respiratory or cardiac diseases.
Avoid staying outside and performing intense or prolonged physical activities. ◦ Close doors, windows, if you have air conditioning put it in recirculation mode and with clean filters. Outside, the use of an FFP2 mask is recommended to avoid respiratory problems and protect the eyes as much as possible, wash them if necessary. For any emergency you must call the emergency telephone number of the Government of the Canary Islands 1-1-2 and for inquiries you must call 012 (922 470 012).
