Professionals from various disciplines including medicine, nursing, physiotherapy, social work, and psychology, totaling over 300 participants both in-person and online, are attending this crucial event. The primary goal is to ensure a better quality of life for young patients and their families, alleviating the suffering associated with severe illnesses.
“"Children's needs have no schedule or date on the calendar."
The inaugural address, delivered by pediatrician Susana Jordá from Son Espases Hospital in Mallorca, emphasized the importance of continuous care, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This demand aligns with the deficiencies identified in the Canary Islands archipelago, where pediatric palliative care services are limited and operate on a restricted schedule, typically from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM.
Despite progress in the last five years, the situation in the Canary Islands remains uneven and poorly coordinated, with inefficient use of existing resources. Specialist Montserrat González highlights that neither the standards of the National Health System nor those established in the Canary Islands Palliative Care Strategy are being met.
Currently, the region has three specific units: one at the Materno-Infantil Hospital (with one pediatrician and one nurse), another at La Candelaria Hospital (with two pediatricians, one psychologist, and one nurse shared with pediatric oncology), and a third at the Hospital Universitario de Canarias, in Tenerife (with one pediatrician and two nurses). These limited resources create care gaps during critical moments, such as the final days of life or the management of complex symptoms.
The Canary Islands Pediatric Palliative Care Strategy, led by Dr. Gómez Sancho and developed between 2018 and 2021, has yet to be implemented. This document envisioned continuous care, prioritization of home care, and the creation of multidisciplinary teams, with at least one resource on each capital island. However, the current reality is far from these objectives.
