Close to seven years ago, on August 24, 2017, the Canarian Health Service made a public announcement that the Hospital del Sur in El Mojón (Arona) would begin offering chemotherapy treatment to cancer patients “from the early months of 2018.” To achieve this, the construction of a 30-square-meter cytostatic medication handling room was awarded to Terclima Canarias SL for a sum of 183,135 Euros.
As of now, patients in the southern region who need chemotherapy treatment still cannot access it within their local health area. Instead, they are required to travel to the Nuestra Señora de La Candelaria University Hospital, with transport arrangements made by family members, friends, or through a free transportation service initiated nearly a decade ago by the Spanish Association against Cancer, financed by regional municipalities. These long journeys are especially burdensome for patients due to the significant side effects of the medication.
During an official visit to Hospital del Sur on December 28, led by the Minister of Health, Esther Monzón, the director of the Canarian Health Service Carlos Díaz, and the Cabildo president, along with representatives of the Pro Hospital Public Platform for the South of Tenerife, the progress of the centre was reviewed. Roberto Gómez, manager of the Nuestra Señora de La Candelaria University Hospital, announced that the oncology pavilion, located adjacent to the centre’s facilities, known for its vaccination efforts against COVID-19, will be operational by the “first half of 2024,” a realistic deadline as per his statement.
According to the manager, this new pavilion will cater to oncology and internal medicine patients as a day hospital. The Pro Hospital Público del Sur platform recently reminded the Ministry of Health, through DIARIO DE AVISOS, that this service, essential for the southern population, needs to be operational by the end of June, as agreed upon during the December 28 meeting. The platform also urges the rapid initiation of the hospital centre’s expansion project to ensure its completion before the approval of the 2025 budgets.
Enhancing Palliative Care
The expansion also plays a crucial role in setting up a palliative care unit for terminally ill patients, a service that has been strongly advocated for in the South. Following the initiative of resident Vanesa Díaz from Cabo Blanco, who started the movement We Are Not Second Class to raise this issue, there has been a push for improved palliative care facilities.
Currently, Tenerife has 12 dedicated admission beds for patients requiring complex palliative care at the Ofra Hospital. There are also multipurpose beds available for less specialized palliative care across different hospitals, including La Candelaria Hospital, HUC, and Hospital del Sur. However, bed availability is contingent on other acute pathologies that necessitate hospitalization.
While waiting for the new palliative unit in El Mojón to become operational (estimated in two to three years), the Pro Hospital Público para el Sur and No Somos de Segunda platforms demand immediate alternatives to enhance patient care, reducing the need for trips to the metropolitan area for acute pain treatment.
Vanesa Díaz and her advocacy group propose various transitional initiatives, one of which is the establishment of a palliative care programme in Primary Care to ensure closer proximity of care to patients and their families. The group stresses the importance of enabling patients to live pain-free at home until their final breath, as this is the most desired option for individuals receiving palliative care and their families.
