Santa Cruz de Tenerife 7 Apr. (Press Europa) –
The general secretary of the Medical Union in Tenerife, Levy Cabrera, stated on Tuesday that it is “urgent” to establish a protocol for managing medical consultations during a maximum alert, such as the conditions experienced last Thursday due to winds following the storm ‘Nuria’ in the Canary Islands.
“It has been improvised; there was a complete lack of information,” he told Europa Press, noting, for instance, that there was no discussion regarding health when classes and teleworking were suspended.
Cabrera highlighted that many doctors in Tenerife must travel from the metropolitan area to Cae de El Mojón in Arona and Icod in the northern part of the island during a maximum alert, which advised against undertaking road trips.
He reiterated that this situation “is poorly handled and lacks protocol” and believes that during a maximum alert, all non-essential activities should be halted. “However, that is not the case,” he added.
Consequently, he questioned whether it is “necessary” for a patient to attend a non-urgent medical consultation when they may have been waiting for an ophthalmology appointment for 15 months, for example, as it remains unclear whether the appointment will be rescheduled for the following week or whether they will need to wait another “15 months.”
He acknowledged that health personnel are “essential,” but simultaneously sees the need to address occupational risks due to the jeopardy posed to worker’s safety, particularly in the case of storm ‘Nuria’, which “left the decision to individual discretion.”
As a result, he advocates for the implementation of an information system via the Intranet for professionals and through media outlets aimed at patients, outlining “how to act in such scenarios.”
