The Orosa Mill recognized for its excellence in the elimination of hepatitis C

The Doctor José Molina Orosa University Hospital has received the Certification of Excellence in the implementation of the Decalogue for the Elimination of Hepatitis C awarded by the Spanish Association for the Study of the Liver (AEEH).

At the handover ceremony, held this Friday, May 8, at the hospital, the director of the Lanzarote Health Area, Erasmo García, the manager of Lanzarote Health Services, Pablo Eguia, and the president of the AEEH, Rafael Bañares, were present.

This recognition endorses the commitment of the Lanzarote hospital to public health and the work of its professionals to eliminate this disease. The accreditation is granted after passing an external audit that has evaluated the degree of implementation of measures aimed at the elimination of hepatitis C in the hospital setting.

Excellent certification

The Molina Orosa has achieved a high compliance with the indicators, reaching one hundred percent in the mandatory requirements, which places it in the excellent certification range and makes it the first hospital in the Canary Islands to obtain this recognition.

Among the most outstanding aspects, the center has successfully implemented strategies such as one-step diagnosis, direct referral to Specialized Care, and active patient search, thus facilitating a more agile and effective approach to this disease. Furthermore, opportunities for improvement have been identified, focusing on strengthening screening programs. The report also highlights the involvement of professionals and the coordination between the different services of Molina Orosa.

The president of the Spanish Association for the Study of the Liver, Rafael Bañares, presented the recognition to doctor Rubén Berenguer, head of the Digestive service and coordinator of the certification process at the hospital, who highlighted the collaboration of the staff from Microbiology, Admissions, Internal Medicine, Gynecology, and Pharmacy.

Likewise, he highlighted the cooperation of other institutions to reach vulnerable population groups, such as the health services of the Lanzarote Penitentiary Center and the health personnel of the Addiction Care Unit, whose work has been key to advancing in the elimination of hepatitis C.

Committed to the elimination of hepatitis C

The Decalogue for the Elimination of Hepatitis C is driven by the Spanish Association for the Study of the Liver, in collaboration with the biopharmaceutical company AbbVie, and has the endorsement of the Spanish Society of Digestive Pathology (SEPD), the Spanish Society of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology (SEIMC) and the Viral Hepatitis Study Group (GEHEP).

It is a document that sets out the requirements that hospitals must meet to advance in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with this disease.

Through this specific standard, the AEEH establishes precise indicators that allow for rigorous monitoring and evaluation of compliance with the ten points included in the consensus document. Ultimately, it is a systematic strategy whose objective is to advance the elimination of hepatitis C throughout the country, focusing on micro-elimination strategies to reach patients who still remain to be diagnosed and treated.

618 patients diagnosed and treated

The implementation of this decalogue has meant a significant improvement in the diagnosis and treatment of patients. Since 2015, with the arrival of new antivirals for the treatment of HCV, the Molina Orosa has diagnosed and treated 618 patients, including 23 attended in the Addiction Care Unit and 29 in the penitentiary center.

The manager of Health Services of Lanzarote, Pablo Eguia, highlighted the work carried out by the professionals of Molina Orosa in the management and treatment of hepatitis C to obtain this certification, as well as the effort made to carry out screening and active search for patients, especially among the most vulnerable population groups.

For his part, the director of the Lanzarote Health Area, Erasmo García, pointed out that obtaining this certification reinforces the commitment of the Canary public health system to continuous improvement and to the goal of advancing towards the elimination of hepatitis C as a public health problem.