The grassroots movement that originated in Cabo Blanco (Arona), advocating for the establishment of a palliative care unit in the Southern region of Tenerife, received the unequivocal endorsement of the leading institution on the Island, the Cabildo. The plenary session unanimously approved an institutional motion to champion the Southern Hospital, which includes, primarily, the Corporation’s backing of the public appeal spearheaded by Vanesa Díaz.
The agreement encompasses various initiatives to expedite the construction and service offerings at the El Mojón hospital centre. The motion underscores support for the citizen-led initiative #NoSomosDeSegunda, demanding the establishment of the aforementioned palliative unit at the Southern Hospital – garnering nearly 2,000 online signatures in just over a month – along with “all endeavours towards enhancing the facility.”
In this context, the plenary session resolved to press the Government of the Canary Islands to adhere to and enact their healthcare strategies promptly, including the immediate launch of a palliative unit at the Southern Hospital.
The institutional motion urges the regional Executive to sustain the expansion of the home care service for palliative care, providing patients in these challenging circumstances, as well as their families, the option to opt for care either at the hospital or within their homes. The regional Executive is also implored to make all requisite financial and operational endeavours to institute the care portfolio at the El Mojón premises and elevate it to a tertiary hospital post-haste.
The Health Minister of the Government of the Canary Islands, Esther Monzón, personally listened to the demands of the citizen initiative led by Vanesa Díaz last Tuesday, presenting a series of measures to enhance the care for patients suffering from terminal illnesses, particularly those not residing in the metropolitan zone where the only such unit on the Island is located, specifically in the Ofra hospital. One proposed measure is the introduction of a dedicated palliative care program in Primary Care.
“This tailored program for palliative care in Primary Care, incorporating training for general practitioners, is a significant part of the immediate solution,” as explained by Díaz to this publication, highlighting that this program would regulate patient numbers for physicians, involve mobilising home support teams to deliver medical care at residences, and establish a round-the-clock telephone service.
The Cabildo also commended the enduring and resolute efforts of the Citizen Platform Pro Hospital Público del Sur over the decades, in safeguarding the healthcare rights of the local populace in this region of the Island.
