The Minister of Health visits the construction of the radiotherapy oncology bunker in Lanzarote

Blas Trujillo has also presented the new ambulances that operate on the island, which now has seven basic life support and two advanced life support ambulances.

December 14 2020 (21:02 WET)
Updated in December 15 2020 (09:39 WET)
Presentation of new ambulances for Lanzarote
Presentation of new ambulances for Lanzarote

The Minister of Health of the Government of the Canary Islands, Blas Trujillo, paid a visit this Monday to the Doctor Molina Orosa Hospital to see first-hand the new technical improvements carried out in some services and the works that are being carried out in the hospital center, including the construction of the radiotherapy oncology bunker. During the meeting, he was 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.

During his visit, the Minister of Health learned first-hand about the progress of the works in which the demolition of the old management offices and the assembly hall has already been carried out for the construction of the new unit. "The works are progressing according to the planned schedule and the work has already been carried out to redefine the new construction where the offices, waiting rooms and work rooms for health personnel will be located, as well as the bathroom and changing room area," the Ministry points out, recalling that the new radiotherapy oncology unit will include two offices, a professional work area, an administrative support area, waiting rooms and the bunker where the linear accelerator will be located with its control area and technical support.

They also visited the excavation area where the bunker will be located, where the foundations are already being prepared with a system of micropiles filled with concrete. For the construction of the bunker, more than 1,000 cubic meters of reinforced concrete are planned and 1,700 linear meters will have to be drilled for the foundation micropiles.

The works, for an amount of 2,014,224 euros, have an execution period of 12 months and are financed by the European Regional Development Fund by 85 percent. The first phase already started defines the demolition of the current assembly hall for the subsequent construction of the bunker and its annexes, as well as an interior reform of part of the hospital's offices. The facilities in these areas will be connected to those existing in the main building.

Renovation of ambulances

The Minister also presented the renovation of the mobile park of land health transport, both urgent and non-urgent. The joint tender for the islands of Fuerteventura and Lanzarote has an amount of almost 24.8 million euros (24,725,390.09).

Regarding urgent health transport (SUC), in Lanzarote two new basic life support ambulances (ASVB) are incorporated in Arrecife and Tías, which will provide service 24 hours a day. In this way, the Island now has 7 basic life support ambulances together with the two advanced life support ambulances (ASVA), which makes a total of 9 resources.

Elías Castro, Blas Trujillo and María Dolores Corujo during the presentation
Elías Castro, Blas Trujillo and María Dolores Corujo during the presentation

"In addition to the new dimensioning of the fleet, it is necessary to highlight the improvements in the technical equipment of the vehicles, which incorporates state-of-the-art telemedicine material with the possibility of data transmission; DESA (semi-automatic defibrillators) equipment in all health resources; bariatric units for the transfer of obese patients; possibility of improving the equipment of the ASVB with electromedicine to enable the medicalization of the resource if necessary and the improvement in the bodywork of the vehicles for greater versatility", they emphasize from the Ministry.

They also add that "equipment for fleet control and hardware for the implementation of the Digital Clinical History is included" and "analog technology is replaced by digital (TETRA) and mobile technology with data is incorporated." Another novelty is related to the incorporation of mobile devices and state-of-the-art tablets to facilitate the digitization of information and optimize coordination between the personnel of the resources, the coordination room and the reference hospital.

Fleet of non-urgent health transport

In the same act, the new resources of non-urgent health transport (TSNU) were presented, destined to the transfer of patients who for medical reasons cannot move to the health center in an ordinary means of transport. These services can be scheduled, such as rehabilitation or dialysis, or deferred, as is the case of hospital discharges and consultations or tests.

In the case of Lanzarote, there is an increase of 6.9% in the number of hours of service provision, with ambulances that go to 24 hours. In total, the TSNU in the Island will have 12 resources.

Among the new features, all vehicles have defibrillators. The collective ones have folding seats that can be exchanged for wheelchairs; caterpillar-type transfer chairs to improve transfers and 220W power outlets for patients carrying medical equipment and a bariatric ambulance is incorporated.

Likewise, coordination and fleet management is improved with an application that controls the availability of resources and their places, as well as the design of routes to shorten travel time. Finally, the user will have access to a mobile phone application with a free messaging system that will communicate their pick-up time.

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