Last week Rosario González sent more than a thousand signatures to the Ministry of Health of the Government of the Canary Islands to support the request for one more endocrinologist for Lanzarote, and is now pending sending 1,200, because currently there is only one position in this specialty. Therefore, Rosario González, who leads the protest, was not surprised that the island is once again without an endocrinologist, because the current doctor has requested voluntary leave.
According to this resident of Tahíche, it is something that happens regularly on the Island. "In two years, we have had 3 different endocrinologists and now again and since there is only one doctor, we are left without a specialist when they leave, because they don't foresee it." But on this occasion, Juan Manuel Sosa, who has confirmed the temporary lack of an endocrinologist, assures that in three months there will be two endocrinology managers on the Island.
Until the new endocrinologist from Uruguay, who has already been hired and is waiting to process the residence permit, rejoins, two specialists from the Negrín Hospital in Las Palmas will come to Lanzarote on Fridays and Saturdays to "consult in cases that require urgent treatment". The rest will be referred to the internists "because there are certain treatments that can be carried out by a doctor", explained Juan Manuel Sosa. "They are not usually matters of vital importance, unless, for example, a diabetic has a severe decompensation".
In three months it is also planned that the current endocrinologist will rejoin her work. In this way, and after the demand of the users, Lanzarote will have two endocrinologists to provide assistance at the General Hospital of Lanzarote.
For her part, Rosario González has criticized the referral of patients to internists. A measure that is carried out, according to this resident, on a regular basis. "There are 8,000 diabetics. A specialist cannot cope with all the patients they have and they are often referred, when people trust that someone specialized will attend to them, because that is what they prepare for in a certain field", questions González.
