The Doctor José Molina Orosa University Hospital of Lanzarote celebrated this Friday, November 22, an institutional event for its 35th anniversary in the auditorium of Jameos del Agua in which it paid tribute to professionals who were part of the opening staff of the hospital center who are still active, and in which the future challenges of the institution have been raised.
The President of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, the President of the Parliament of the Canary Islands, Astrid Pérez, the Minister of Health of the Government of the Canary Islands, Esther Monzón, the President of the Cabildo of Lanzarote, Oswaldo Betancort and the manager of the Lanzarote Health Services Pablo Eguia, have presided over a tribute in which the Deputy Minister of Health and Director of the SCS, Carlos Díaz, among other authorities, was also present.
At the event, professionals from Molina Orosa shared their experience, their experiences and the changes that it has experienced over these 35 years. They especially remembered the moment of the opening of the center, on April 14, 1989, after the transfer from the Nuestra Señora de los Volcanes Residence to the new and modern facilities to offer a better service to the citizens of Lanzarote.
The Doctor José Molina Orosa Hospital currently has 292 hospital beds, nine operating rooms, five delivery rooms and 52 external consultations. Since its launch, the hospital center has performed around 210,000 surgical interventions and in 2023 it registered the highest number of operations performed in a year with a total of 11,320.
A cutting-edge hospital
The activity of the Outpatient Clinic area has increased in these 35 years by 2,700% percent until reaching 535,479 consultations carried out in the last year. On the other hand, the care of the Emergency service has increased significantly until reaching 70,079 emergencies attended last year. Likewise, the number of patients hospitalized in that period has been gradually multiplying until the 10,050 admissions registered throughout 2023.
In more than three decades, Molina Orosa has expanded its portfolio of services, improved its infrastructure, and has multiplied the number of workers by ten. Compared to the two hundred people who launched the center 35 years ago, currently the hospital staff is made up of about 2,500 professionals.
Technological resources, clinical and management innovations have also been incorporated since then and gradually. The center has undergone a constant process of change to achieve the highest quality of care and become a modern hospital with cutting-edge technology and a wide portfolio of services with 34 specialties.
From radiodiagnostic equipment such as resonance and scanner, the creation of the ICU, the wide catalog of functional tests, modern laboratories, day hospitals, the pathological anatomy unit, the pediatric ICU, vascular surgery, to the newly opened Hemodynamics and Radiotherapy Oncology units, Molina Orosa continues to be immersed in a process of improving the quality of care.
Commitment to quality care and humanization
The commitment to quality and continuous improvement has been a constant in these 35 years, currently 7 services and 5 units of the center have quality accreditation or certification in addition to the ISO 14001 environmental management certification.
Since 2021, the Hospital has the status of University Hospital, teaching and research occupy a prominent place in the daily activity of the center and currently trains 59 resident internal doctors and nurses who carry out an important research task.
The Molina Orosa Hospital has always demonstrated its commitment to humanization and in 2012 it became the first hospital in the Canary Islands recognized as a Center Committed to Excellence in Care of the international BPSO Program. It also develops various humanization initiatives and projects such as the friendly ICU, aimed at improving the stay of patients in the Hospital.
Commitment and professionalism
During the event, the President of the Canary Islands valued the work that public health professionals have developed in the 35 years of history of the Molina Orosa Hospital and of the 2,500 that make up its staff today. Clavijo highlighted the commitment of the Autonomous Government to “place the citizen at the center of essential public services and the patient at the center of the health system”, something that would not be possible “without the professionals who have built and make this hospital complex grow and improve every day” in Lanzarote.
For her part, the Minister of Health, Esther Monzón, thanked the professionals of the Hospital for their work and announced that the immediate future of the hospital center involves “incorporating robotic surgery into its portfolio of services, which will be an important advance for patients and a motivation for professionals”. She also added that “the SCS has planned a series of improvements for services such as Pathological Anatomy and Psychiatry and the incorporation of a geothermal system that will be a pioneer in Spain, among other fundamental actions for the proper functioning of the hospital center”.
During his speech, the President of the Cabildo of Lanzarote, Oswaldo Betancort, congratulated the professionals who are part of the José Molina Orosa University Hospital and dedicated some heartfelt words to them. "You are the true heart of our health, those who not only heal the body, but also take care of the soul. Behind every advance and every achievement are you, the doctors, nurses, assistants, cleaning staff, technicians and administrators, who day after day give the best of themselves," said Betancort.
The island president also pointed out that this anniversary is not only a celebration, but “a tribute to all those who have worked here, to those who have built a legacy of excellence and humanity, and to those who, every day, continue to write the history of this hospital with dedication and professionalism”.
The manager of the Lanzarote Health Services, Pablo Eguía thanked the commitment, effort and dedication of the workers with the care and attention to the society of Lanzarote. The achievements made by the hospital, he pointed out, have been possible thanks to a team that has worked together and where each person contributes their value. Looking to the future, we must continue building together, innovating and improving, so that the hospital continues to be a reference place with the best health care.
In his speech, Eguía announced that the management has begun drafting a Master Plan for Health Infrastructures of the island, a strategic document for the development and optimization of resources related to health care in order to respond efficiently to the needs of the current and future population of the island, including the floating population.
The performance of the Lanzarote singer Ciro Corujo accompanied by timple and guitar put the finishing touch to the event in the Auditorium of Jameos del Agua that was attended by more than 300 people.