The public health of the Canary Islands will soon require its patients that, if they have a medical appointment with a specialist, confirm their attendance one week in advance, to avoid the large number of them that remain vacant throughout the year because the interested citizen does not attend.
The implementation of this confirmation system has been announced at the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the 012 care telephone by the President of the Government of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, who has remarked that not attending a medical appointment causes an economic cost and prevents another patient from using that turn.
Therefore, it has been decided to require confirmation of the appointment already requested, by a system that will be reported and of which all the details will be given soon, said the General Director of Digital Transformation, Guadalupe González Taño.
Sources from the Ministry of Health have specified to EFE that the patient must review their appointment one week in advance, to confirm that they will attend or, if necessary, request a change of date.
Likewise, 012 plans to implement the possibility of requesting a medical appointment at the health center through the Whatsapp messaging application and also that the citizen can interact with the administration through it.
Currently, information is offered through this channel, but citizens cannot interact with 012, only receive messages, said González Taño.
The incorporation of new tools will be a help, but it will not change the essence of the telephone service, in which "the treatment with people is the most important thing", said the General Director.
González Taño has highlighted that 012 not only offers general information about the autonomous administration, but also offers digital support to citizens to access the electronic headquarters of the Government of the Canary Islands.
Likewise, he recalled that, although many citizens call the service mainly to request an appointment at their health center, information is also offered on taxes, social welfare and all areas of the Government of the Canary Islands.