The Minister of Health of the Government of the Canary Islands, Esther Monzón, detailed in the Parliament of the Canary Islands the measures adopted during this legislature to alleviate the healthcare pressure in the Emergency services of the public hospitals of Gran Canaria. These actions focus on three pillars: staff reinforcement, infrastructure expansion, and organizational measures.
Regarding human resources, 72 new professionals have been incorporated. The Doctor Negrín Hospital has received 31 reinforcements, particularly in night shifts, including eleven doctors, ten nurses, and ten auxiliary nursing care technicians. The Insular University Hospital has added 41 professionals, including ten physicians, twelve nurses, and twelve reinforcement technicians.
Monzón emphasized that the occasional healthcare strain is identified and addressed by a well-managed health system, supported by the largest healthcare budget in history. This increase in activity is largely due to demographic changes, such as population growth and aging. The Doctor Negrín Hospital serves over 358,000 people, and its Emergency services have seen an 8% increase in the last two years, reaching 100,000 annual patients. At the Insular Hospital, demand has risen by 2.6%.
In terms of infrastructure, the Doctor Negrín Hospital is expanding its Emergency service with an investment of 790,000 euros, which will add 552 square meters and 47 new care posts by the end of the year. The Insular University Hospital tendered for 6.1 million euros the drafting of the expansion project, and is also advancing other complementary actions like a third Transition Room and the future U48 High Resolution Unit.
Complementarily, organizational measures have been implemented, including contingency plans, separation of respiratory circuits, enhanced triage, planning of hospital discharges on weekends and holidays, promotion of home hospitalization, and coordination with Primary Care and socio-health resources of the Cabildo of Gran Canaria.
The minister concluded that improving Emergency services requires continuous investment, planning, and the adoption of measures to provide the best possible care to citizens.
