The Socialist Group of Lanzarote, through its spokesperson, Ariagona González, has celebrated that the Ministry of Social Welfare of the Government of the Canary Islands has rectified its position and has decided to maintain the dependency agreement without changes, thus avoiding the privatization of home help, as initially planned. “Time has proven us right,” the PSOE stated, after learning of the decision of the Government of the Canary Islands not to modify the management of home help and telecare services.
Ariagona González has criticized Oswaldo Betancort and his government for "before this shift in the policy of the Government of the Canary Islands occurred, voting against the motion presented by the Socialist Group in the plenary session of the Cabildo of Lanzarote, which expressed rejection of the privatization of this essential service and urged the regional Executive to develop the Dependency System in collaboration with the Cabildo, highlighting the need for a joint approach to address the growing needs of dependent people on the island." "Oswaldo Betancort seemed comfortable with the idea that an essential service for so many elderly people on the island would lose quality," González added.
“Eliminating the management of the Home Help Service and Telecare from the portfolio of services of the island councils, as well as imposing on them the preparation of reports that are the exclusive competence of the Ministry, is not the right path,” González emphasized, adding that this measure would negatively affect the services that so many people depend on for their well-being.
In addition, the PSOE recalled that the management of dependency under the mandate of Coalición Canaria "has been historically deficient, with the Canary Islands always at the bottom in terms of attention to dependency." “We cannot forget that, with Coalición Canaria, our community has been systematically at the bottom in the development of the Dependency System. They have been unable to recognize the right to dependency of thousands of people, many of whom have died waiting for their procedures to be completed. Now they wanted to reduce dignity in the attention of an essential service,” they stated.
The PSOE has reiterated "its commitment to a people-centered approach, in which all parties collaborate to ensure that those who need it most can live with dignity and autonomy." “It is essential that the Dependency System is managed effectively and humanely, in order to ensure that our elderly and dependent people receive the appropriate support to live with the highest possible quality of life,” González concluded.