The New Canary Islands deputy for Lanzarote and La Graciosa, the nurse Yoné Caraballo, began his journey in the Health Commission of the Parliament of the Canary Islands by questioning the Minister of the branch, Esther Monzón, to follow the course of the policies carried out in the previous legislature by the progressive government, where the health system was reinforced with "more than 8,000 new professionals."
Caraballo, a nurse by profession with more than 18 years of experience at the José Molina Orosa Hospital in Lanzarote, made an initial presentation pointing out the challenges facing the new heads of public health in the Canary Islands. Thus, he pointed out the importance of "strengthening primary care" under the logic of "bringing the system closer to the user and not the other way around." For the deputy, the public system has the challenge of "restructuring" to be more accessible, especially in islands and regions that suffer from underfunding in the service portfolio.
In addition, he offered his hand to the Minister to make proposals and initiatives that "improve waiting lists" in consultations, diagnostic tests and surgeries. On the other hand, the Canarianist stressed the challenge of mental health, recalling the
data from the Canary Islands Sociobarometer, which shows that the "consumption of anxiolytics has increased exponentially in the Canary Islands" after the Covid-19 pandemic. For Caraballo, "having access to a psychologist or public mental health specialist should be as easy as making an appointment in the Canary Islands Health Service application, and not being forced to pay 60 euros per session." This is "an amount that most citizens cannot afford."
Especially relevant was his defense in the provision of more health resources, appealing to the "good performance" that the increase in the budget has had in recent years. "It has gone from 3,000 million initial budget in 2019 to more than 3,800 million in 2022. This has been noticed in material resources, but above all in personnel, improving the professional-patient ratios."
Similarly, Caraballo has lamented the "selective forgetfulness" of some deputies of CC and PP for "not taking into account" in their presentations the period of pandemic suffered in the previous legislature. For the Canarianist, "some deputies make diagnoses of public health ignoring the Covid period that paralyzed all services, and strained public health systems in all countries. In addition, they talk about excessive spending without understanding that the government of progress found in 2019 a diminished and fragile health system."
He also emphasized this last point, recalling the reality that was experienced in the period from 2016 to 2019 when CC and Fernando Clavijo governed. "There was not even water for the staff," he said. He continued alluding to the guidelines of the new health managers, who have conveyed to the heads of service "containment of spending and non-renewal of contracts."
"The staff is uncertain about what will happen with the Covid contracts or professional stabilization. But above all they are worried because we know their ways and their policies. We already lived it," said Caraballo, who concluded his speech denouncing "some appointments" of health managers, such as the Health Area Directorate of Lanzarote where a professional from travel agencies has been appointed; or in the Management of the University Hospital of the Canary Islands with a professional from stevedoring. "What you cannot do is put people without knowledge in health management while talking about professionalizing management and containing spending," the deputy sentenced.
"The tale of the hole"
Yoné Caraballo wanted to stop to "deny" the story built by the conservative government of CC and PP of a "hole in health." Supported by budget data, Caraballo pointed out that "the health area always presents an increase in spending over the approved budget, occurring in all the years of the last two decades. In 2019, when the pact of progress comes to the government, the budget deviation represented 17% of the initial budget of the Canary Islands Health Service; being currently 14%, with the exception that the conservative government has inherited a general budget of the Canary Islands of more than 11,000 million euros; 4,000 million more than in 2019. A budget large enough to correct the deviation and not alarm citizens and staff."
"They are building a story to do what they really want to do, cut public services and delay their "great" electoral commitment to lower the IGIC from 7% to 5%," said Caraballo.