SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 21 Aug (EUROPA PRESS) –
The President of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, alongside the Minister of Health, Esther Monzón, paid a visit this Wednesday to a newly established observation area for psychiatric emergencies at the Canary Islands University Hospital Complex (HUC). This initiative aims to enhance the care offered to these patients within the Emergency Department.
As per the Department of Health, the space spans 130 square metres and accommodates eight patients (including two with monitoring capabilities), features an adapted toilet for patients, a staff toilet, a small waiting area, two consulting rooms, an office space, and a storage room.
To facilitate this, a comprehensive renovation of the area has been conducted, including a complete overhaul of the electrical, telecommunications, medical gas, plumbing, and sanitation facilities, as well as fire detection systems.
Furthermore, the flooring, suspended ceilings, and internal carpentry have also been updated, with the patient bathroom being adapted for individuals with reduced mobility.
After observing the refurbished facilities up close, both the President of the Regional Government and the Minister of Health commended the strides taken by the Regional Government to bolster mental health care services, a key priority for this legislative term, further reinforced by the establishment of a dedicated general directorate.
Clavijo also recognised the significant efforts of healthcare professionals, particularly those at the HUC, where an average of eleven psychiatric patients are treated daily in the hospital’s emergency unit, focusing mainly on severe mental disorders and behavioural issues.
“We are providing these exceptional professionals, who work tirelessly every day, with the resources and tools necessary to ensure that, by prioritising the patient within the system, they can perform their duties under optimal conditions.”
MENTAL HEALTH ACTIVITIES IN 2023
HUC manager Adasat Goya and the head of the Psychiatry department, Rosario Cejas, also emphasised the significance of healthcare personnel operating within suitable infrastructure. To this end, a strategic plan has been devised to improve all hospital facilities.
Seventeen professionals are employed in this revamped Emergency area: two doctors during the day (with the Psychiatry on-call team working from 3:00 p.m. and on public holidays), ten nurses, and five nursing care technicians.
In the previous year, 500 patients were admitted to the HUC Psychiatry Hospitalisation Unit, nearly 9,500 consultations were handled by psychiatrists, over 5,100 by psychologists, and 8,700 virtual consultations were conducted.
Additionally, the Child and Adolescent Unit saw 93 admissions, the Hospital Unit for Drug Addiction Treatment (UHTD) recorded 316 admissions, and the External Mental Health Area documented 133 admissions, of which 49 were to the Active Rehabilitation Unit (URA) and 75 to the Subacute Unit (USA).
The number of consultations held at the Mental Health Units of La Laguna, Tacoronte, La Vera, Icod, and La Orotava totalled 17,650 for Psychiatry and 8,941 for Psychology, respectively.
