Since I started my career as a professional in the field of healthcare, I have tried to fight for improvements for our land, Lanzarote, La Graciosa and the Canary Islands. Some years ago it was unthinkable that our island would have two medicalized ambulances and today, thanks to social and media pressure, it is a reality that thousands of residents and visitors have in the event of a vital emergency. We must not give up, we must continue in the fight.
I feel healthy envy for our neighbors in Fuerteventura. A few days ago, the unanimity of the plenary session of the Parliament of the Canary Islands was announced to provide this island with a medicalized helicopter, thus reducing response times in urgent evacuations. The people of Lanzarote are already used to looking with breath at the people of Majorera, because they are an example of unity in the fight for quality public services.
As an emergency nurse, union member, and candidate for the Senate for Nueva Canarias last April 2019, I have actively and passively defended the priority and importance of our Dr. José Molina Orosa Hospital having a base helipad for a medicalized helicopter, with the corresponding medical team, doctor and nurse. With this measure we would exponentially increase the chances of survival in transfers of critical pediatric patients to the Materno Infantil, or Dr. Negrín in the case of adults, both higher-level reference hospitals located in Gran Canaria. With this, we would shorten the times by more than half to receive specialized assistance for services that we do not have today in Lanzarote.
On some occasions, while I work and see that patients with serious pathologies who are waiting to be transferred do not even take off from our island, or die on the way to Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, I think, if they had been evacuated instantly having a helicopter in our hospital, would they have survived? Difficult question to answer currently. However, I am clear as a healthcare professional that, in a critical situation, time is life.
I appeal to the regional parliamentarians and political leaders in general of our island to look at our neighbors on the island of Majorera and take an example. Let them put aside the political color for the electoral period, and work by joining forces to achieve better endowments in public services that increase the quality of life of the residents of Lanzarote.
Hopefully soon we can celebrate that a critical polytraumatized patient who has been run over at 12:15 pm on the Vía Medular, and is stabilized and transported to the helipad where the medicalized helicopter is located, which takes off at 1:00 pm to arrive at the Neurosurgery Unit of Dr. Negrín at 2:00 pm, in less than 2 hours is operated on by the aforementioned special service and survives.
Time is life!
By Yoné Caraballo.
