Santa Cruz de Tenerife 28 Feb. (Europa Press) –
Over a hundred employees, organised by the SATSE and Intersindical Canarian unions, gathered this Friday outside the Canary Islands Parliament to express their dissatisfaction with the “limited” circumstances and the “temporary fixes” regarding the Emergency Public Services.
Yoel Hernández, Autonomous Secretary of Satse, reported to the media that the option of initiating a strike is on the table due to the absence of “genuine solutions” from the Ministry of Health.
He cautioned that the medical facilities on the islands “are not equipped” to meet the needs of the resident population, alongside the influx of tourists, highlighting that over 600 acute beds are occupied by chronic patients owing to a shortage of spaces in care facilities.
Hernández has also called for a definitive increase in staffing levels and not just temporary adjustments, as the demand for services “is constant,” along with the implementation of action plans to manage the cyclical and recurring ‘peak’ situations that arise each year.
“Each year, we face situations where emergency services are overwhelmed due to seasonal illnesses, and it appears that we are merely applying temporary solutions to a longstanding issue that requires substantial attention and immediate action,” he stated.
He acknowledged the challenging state of emergency care at the HUC but advocated for the “quality care” provided by the professionals at the complex, who often risk their own health to cope with “significant workload pressures.”
Consequently, he believes it is necessary to question the public health managers in the Canary Islands about the discrepancies in staffing levels between the HUC and the Hospital de la Candelaria.
In this regard, he noted that nurses “are selecting their workplaces” as “demand exists everywhere,” opting not to work “under such highly stressful conditions” as those found at the HUC.
Hernández has acknowledged the Ministry of Health’s willingness to address these issues, noting their genuine interest in seeking solutions; however, despite requests for improvements over several months, there have been no “meaningful changes” to working conditions.
The workers, who have demanded the resignation of the President of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, and the Minister of Health, Esther Monzón, chanted slogans such as “fewer speeches and more resources,” “minister, listen, health is in jeopardy,” and “emergencies are overwhelmed, and nothing is being done here.”
