The deputy for Lanzarote in the Parliament of the Canary Islands for Nueva Canarias, Yone Caraballo Medina, has visited this Tuesday the facilities of the Insular Hospital of Lanzarote, where he was received by the center's management, to whom he conveyed his gratitude for the welcome and the willingness shown during the tour.
During the visit, the deputy was able to verify firsthand the current state of the structural deficiencies of the building, while also wanting to highlight the environment and warmth that the property offers, which, despite its architectural limitations, continues to be a benchmark in geriatric care in the Canary Islands.
Caraballo pointed out that “no one doubts that, if the technical reports determine it, users and workers should be transferred to the Emerging Diseases building of the Doctor José Molina Orosa Hospital. But that transfer can only occur if there is a firm commitment, with a timeline and budget allocation, from whoever is responsible, which is no other administration than the Canarian Health Service through the Ministry of Health of the Government of the Canary Islands, and also from the president of the Cabildo de Lanzarote Oswaldo Betancort”.
The deputy added that “it is not a commitment of Coalición Canaria, but a direct responsibility of the Government of the Canary Islands. What we demand is a clear project for the comprehensive reform of the building and the return to a complete geriatric hospital like the one we know to this day, a benchmark throughout the Canary Islands”.
In this regard, Caraballo recalled that, although Coalición Canaria shields itself by saying that the decision will depend on the Master Plan, “it is also a matter of political will to commit to reforming and returning to the same location. If a relocation defined as momentary is carried out, we are all aware that this ‘momentary’ can turn into more than ten years, putting at risk an integral care model for the frail elderly person.”
After the visit, the deputy held a meeting with the works council of the Insular Hospital, where the workers' representatives expressed their concern about the future of essential services such as kitchen, laboratory, and radiology, as well as about the care model and the uncertainty regarding the fate of the staff and the real duration of the supposed temporary nature of the transfer.
"I only hope that the rest of the island's deputies, David Toledo, Cristina Calero and Oswaldo Betancort, also do their job, and sit down with all the workers of the Insular Hospital and listen to their demands and concerns," said the Canarian deputy.
In this meeting, Caraballo encouraged the workers to promote the creation of a platform in defense of the Insular Hospital, with the aim of gathering support from social groups, unions, professional associations, and island associations. “It is fundamental that Lanzarote society gets involved in the defense of its geriatric hospital. I have conveyed to them the importance of articulating a common, plural, and participatory space, which allows for the elaboration of a manifesto in defense of the Insular and its care model,” he stated.
Caraballo stressed that “as a nurse by profession, my commitment is to care and to the model of care for the frail elderly person. I am very clear about the care needs and the value of the therapeutic environment that the Insular Hospital offers today.”
Regarding the statements of Senator Pedro San Ginés, the deputy stated that “I have no pending debates with Mr. San Ginés. Debates should take place in the Parliament of the Canary Islands, between the deputies elected by Lanzarote or with whoever holds institutional representation, but not in a strategy of political confrontation.”
Likewise, he added that “this is one more example of who is politicizing the issue of the Insular Hospital, which is none other than Coalición Canaria. It is worth remembering that Pedro San Ginés governed the Cabildo de Lanzarote from 2009 to 2019 and during those ten years he did not allocate a single euro, not even for a simple painting job, to the rehabilitation of the Insular Hospital. It is striking that now, from Madrid, he shows a concern that he did not have when he held the highest responsibility on the island.”