SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE Nov. 27 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Nuestra Señora de Candelaria University Hospital (Tenerife), under the auspices of the Health Department of the Government of the Canary Islands, celebrated the 80th anniversary of the Ofra Hospital on Wednesday, a facility affiliated with the hospital complex since 1983.
The commemorative gathering featured the regional president, Fernando Clavijo, the Minister of Health, Esther Monzón, and the president of the Tenerife Cabildo, Rosa Dávila, along with senior officials from the Canarian Health Service and former managing directors of the hospital.
The health centre commenced operations on May 2, 1944, making it the oldest continually operating facility in the Canary Islands health system.
It was a trailblazer in tuberculosis treatment, initially being referred to as the Anti-Tuberculous Nursing Sanatorium.
Its layout and position were meticulously designed to hinder the spread of the disease, and the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy were entrusted with its management, according to a Government statement.
At present, it employs over 230 professionals, including medical and nursing staff, TCAEs, guards, and administrative personnel, who strive to provide care for an average of 31,000 individuals annually, which encompasses both users and patients admitted to its 64 beds.
During the occasion, President Fernando Clavijo underscored the exemplary role that Ofra Hospital has played in Tenerife’s health service and expressed gratitude for the dedication of the thousands of professionals who have tirelessly worked for eight decades to care for patients, providing compassionate and human treatment.
Clavijo referred to this historic health establishment as an “illustration” of the advancement towards quality public health in the Canary Islands, affirming that the Executive will persist in its efforts to enhance this essential service with the citizen at the “heart” of management.
In her remarks, councillor Esther Monzón emphasised the significant contributions made by the professionals at a hospital where “more than 700,000 consultations have been conducted, alongside nearly 61,000 surgical procedures since records began.”
The councillor commended the human team’s training, which has consistently been characterised by one of the values that should guide work in the health sector, the humanisation of care.
Furthermore, the president of the Cabildo of Tenerife highlighted that Ofra Hospital serves as a benchmark in public health and a testament to eight decades of commitment towards the health of the island.
“This hospital exemplifies the relentless efforts of its professionals and the trust of the patients who have made it a vital pillar for our island,” stated Rosa Dávila, reaffirming the Tenerife corporation’s dedication to support this health centre so that it “continues to be a source of hope and well-being for the thousands of patients it attends to each year.
80 YEARS OF CARE IN TENERIFE
Following the conclusion of the so-called ‘white plague’ in the seventies, the facility began its transformation to accommodate new services and treat various conditions.
As nutrition, hygiene, and the advent of antibiotics improved, the sanatorium evolved into the Chest Hospital and, in 1991, it was renamed Ofra Hospital.
Throughout the eighties, the centre featured hospital wards for Internal Medicine, Cardiology, General and Digestive Surgery, Vascular Surgery, and Pulmonology. It was equipped with operating theatres, a laboratory, a pharmacy, an X-ray machine, and a kitchen.
Subsequently, the Palliative Care Unit was established, starting to admit patients.
With the expansion of the Nuestra Señora de Candelaria Hospital, Ofra Hospital adjusted its service offerings, specialising in outpatient consultations and medium- to long-term hospitalisation for convalescent patients.
New specialised units were introduced to the existing services in the building, such as Orthogeriatrics, the Multidisciplinary Diabetic Foot Unit, the High Complexity Chronic Patient Care Unit (UAPP), and the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Unit.
AN EXHIBITION TO REMEMBER THE BEGINNINGS
Among the activities organised to mark this occasion, the hospital opened a photographic exhibition in the main hall of the central building, featuring images from the early years of the centre’s operation, showcasing the distance of Ofra Hospital from the metropolitan centre.
This exhibition complements the conference held last Monday, which brought together both current and retired staff from all professional levels to share experiences and reminisce about the transformations the hospital has embraced to align with cutting-edge healthcare practices.