All healthcare workers who have worked during the pandemic have been recognized this Friday by the Lanzarote Rotary Club, with the presentation of their "Conejero of the Year 2022" award. The award was collected on their behalf by the Minister of Health of the Government of the Canary Islands, Blas Trujillo, and the manager of the Health Services of the Lanzarote Health Area, José Luis Aparicio.
During the event, which took place at the doors of the Molina Orosa Hospital, the representatives of the Rotary Club presented a statue that will be installed in the gardens of the Lanzarote hospital center and with which the work of all the staff of the Health Area during the pandemic caused by the coronavirus is recognized. The event was also attended by the president of the Cabildo of Lanzarote, María Dolores Corujo Berriel, the president of the Rotary Club Lanzarote association, Rita Martín, the director of the Lanzarote Health Area, Noelia Umpiérrez, and the mayor of Arrecife, Astrid Pérez, among other authorities.
In his speech, Blas Trujillo highlighted the "dedication and commitment" of the healthcare professionals who provided assistance to people infected with SARS-CoV-2 on the island and, in particular, wanted to highlight their "extraordinary effort and professional work developed during the worst moments of this pandemic."
He also recalled the coronavirus vaccination campaign, "a preventive action against the disease that has become a historical milestone," as more than 85.5 percent of the population has now been immunized. "I would like to highlight the citizens' response to the vaccination calls, which has led to an improvement in the epidemiological scenario, although we must not relax in the prevention of transmission," he warned.
The president of the Cabildo of Lanzarote, María Dolores Corujo Berriel, highlighted the work carried out by healthcare personnel during the COVID-19 pandemic. "I celebrate and share the decision of Rotary Club Lanzarote to award the ‘Conejero of the Year 2022’ award to the healthcare personnel of the Lanzarote Health Area, for the titanic and unforgettable work carried out during the health crisis caused by COVID-19," she said. "These women and men have fought the pandemic with dedication and generosity, have alleviated and dispelled our fears, and we are aware that they have been at the limit of their human capacity for too long, so they deserve all our respect and our recognition," the president said.
The manager, José Luis Aparicio, on behalf of all the honored healthcare workers, thanked the Rotary Club for this recognition while highlighting the role of all the staff of the Management during the pandemic, from Primary Care to the ICU, passing through the Emergency and Hospitalization staff, as well as the tracking and vaccination staff, which enabled greater protection of the Lanzarote society against COVID-19. "This award is for the 2,949 workers that the Management currently has," he said.
For her part, the president of the Rotary Club, Rita Martín, explained during her speech that it is a recognition of all healthcare personnel for their work on the front line against COVID-19. In addition, she highlighted that the pandemic made healthcare personnel assume their work "with tireless dedication, which highlights the effort made by all healthcare professionals in Lanzarote to guarantee the public service, who have once again proven to be key in the fight against COVID-19."
Since the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020, the Doctor José Molina Orosa University Hospital has registered the admission of 713 patients due to Covid-19, of which 76 required admission to the Intensive Care Unit.
