Defend our hospital, our healthcare, and a way of caring for our elders
I saw a video of the intervention of the members of the Insular Hospital Platform in the Health Commission of the Parliament of the Canary Islands and, after listening to them, I was left with a question that I cannot get out of my head:
How could we have gotten here?
We are talking about a hospital that has special value for Lanzarote and a model of care for our elders that, as the Platform itself explained, is exceptional within the Canary Islands.
And then I ask myself: how can it be that we have something like this and we are talking about transferring its geriatric activity?
Because we are not just talking about a building. We are talking about people. About our fathers, our mothers, and our elders.
We are told that the services will not be lost. But I believe that citizens have the right to know exactly what that means.
Because the Insular Hospital is not just a residence. It is healthcare, professionals, laboratory, X-rays, and means that allow us to assess and care for our elders within the hospital itself.
And I also say this from something very personal.
My mother is currently in the Insular Hospital residence.
As a son, it gives me peace of mind to know that when she needs medical attention, she has the necessary professionals and resources nearby to be assessed.
That is not a minor detail. That is peace of mind for a family.
But there is something else that we cannot forget either.
There is its kitchen, with professionals who know the dietary needs of our elders. There are its patios, its terraces, and its spaces for walking, getting fresh air, and receiving sunlight.
It may seem unimportant from an office.
For an elderly person, it is not.
Because caring is not just about medicating.
Caring is also about feeding well, accompanying, walking, sunbathing, and feeling like a person.
Therefore, if the problem is that the Insular Hospital needs renovation, my answer is clear:
LET'S RENOVATE IT.
If it needs investment:
LET'S INVEST.
If it needs modernization:
LET'S MODERNIZE IT.
Let's make the project. Let's set a budget. Let's set a start date and an end date.
And, above all, let's make one thing clear: when the works are finished, our elders must be able to return to their Insular Hospital.
After listening to the Platform, I can only think:
THEY HIT THE JACKPOT.
But there is nothing to celebrate here.
Because we are talking about our elders.
We are talking about my mother.
And this is not a problem solely for the professionals who work at the Insular Hospital. They are sounding the alarm because they know firsthand what this hospital means.
It is a problem for all of Lanzarote.
Because the Insular Hospital is part of our healthcare and our history. Today it serves our elders. Tomorrow any one of us may need it.
That is why I ask:
If we do not defend what is ours, who will defend it?
I will continue to defend the Insular Hospital.
For my mother. For the patients. For the residents. For their families. For the professionals who care for them. And for all those who may one day need it.
Because perhaps today we think it will never be our turn.
Today it is my mother.
Tomorrow it may be yours.
And the day after tomorrow it may be us.
I do not want to preserve only a building.
I want to preserve a way of caring.
INSULAR HOSPITAL, YOU HAVE HIT THE JACKPOT.
Now it is up to all of us to defend it.
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