The Minister of Health of the Government of the Canary Islands, Blas Trujillo, and the director of the Canarian Health Service, Alberto Pazos, visited the Dr. Molina Orosa Hospital this Monday, where they had the opportunity to learn first-hand about the center's activity. During the meeting, they were accompanied by the president of the Island Council, María Dolores Corujo, by the director of the Area, Noelia Umpiérrez, and by the manager of Health Services, José Luis Aparicio.
Among the tour they took through the hospital, they had the opportunity to visit the areas destined for Radiotherapy Oncology and Hemodynamics and to meet with the Oncology professionals and those of Pneumology and Internal Medicine who have treated the 36 patients diagnosed with Covid-19 who required hospital admission.
The Minister of Health stressed that the objective of the visit is "to know first-hand the needs of the Island in the health field and future projections." In his first words, he recognized the work carried out by the professionals in the health area to face the pandemic, attend to the 94 positive cases that Lanzarote has registered and anticipate the situation, adapting its infrastructures to the needs that could arise at any time.
In this sense, he pointed out that the Management of Health Services of the island reinforced its staff with 109 professionals, including nurses, assistants, etc. and converted spaces such as operating rooms into care areas that could respond to a possible increase in demand. Likewise, he thanked the work of the trackers and the Primary Care professionals who have followed up on the 48 patients who have been treated at home for Covid-19. According to him, the care capacities that the island developed have allowed the virus to be kept under control, although we must regret the six deaths that have been registered due to Covid.
In this sense, the Councilor of the Island Council, Dolores Corujo, also spoke, who highlighted the inter-institutional collaboration that has existed between the Council and the Government of the Canary Islands as well as with the Ministry of Health and the rest of social agents to respond to the demand of users during the pandemic.
Six active cases
Blas Trujillo highlighted the importance of not lowering our guard at this time when Covid-19 is more controlled with only six active cases in Lanzarote that have arisen with the arrival of migrants to the island. “Although these cases are very controlled, the population must maintain security measures to avoid outbreaks,” he said.
The Minister of Health also pointed out that the Canarian Health Service is already working on the flu vaccination campaign, which will begin before the arrival of autumn, in order to develop a massive vaccination that avoids scares in the care capacities of our centers.
Infrastructure
During the visit, Trujillo was interested in the pending health infrastructure projects on the island, especially the three most priorities: the works of the Hemodynamics unit that is in the contracting phase, that of Radiotherapy Oncology whose start of work will take place in the coming weeks - it has been delayed by the pandemic - and that of the Argana health center, which, he advanced, has already requested the transfer of land to the Arrecife City Council.
22 more doctors during 2020
“Not everything is Covid and the Ministry of Health will be at the foot of the canyon, in coordination with the Cabildo, to give the greatest possible satisfaction to the health demands of the island within the framework of a difficult budgetary year,” Trujillo assured. In this sense, he also advanced that an effort has been made to reinforce the staff, with the hiring of 22 doctors of different specialties, which will allow to increase the surgical activity and the performance of the operating rooms of the hospital center.
