The protest, organized by the Marea Blanca Platform, brought together workers, users, unions, political parties, and associations. Demonstrators, many dressed in white and with patients in wheelchairs at the forefront, carried banners with slogans such as 'For a dignified public health system. Public health is not a business, it is a right' and 'We need geriatrics and the protection of our elders'.
The Insular Hospital, which has been under the Government of the Canary Islands since 2019, is housed in a 75-year-old building with severe structural issues. The center includes units for acute care, medium stay, long stay, and a Day Hospital for geriatric patients.
According to a report, a comprehensive renovation is needed. The Canary Islands Health Service (SCS) plans to relocate patients to a building adjacent to the Molina Orosa Hospital, but there is no firm project, funding, or guarantee of return to the Insular Hospital.
“"It is time for the island council, the SCS, and the Government of the Canary Islands to abandon the policy of empty promises and vague statements about the future of the Insular Hospital."
Yasmina Tabares, the Platform's spokesperson, read a statement warning of an imminent transfer to a location where 'geriatrics has no place,' without budget or timelines for returning to the Insular Hospital. She emphasized that the situation impacts the cohesion, equity, and sustainability of the Canary Islands' public health system, jeopardizing geriatric care and teaching activities on the island.
The Platform has collected 21,426 signatures of support for the hospital's continuity, questioning why its growth is not being considered instead of its potential closure.
