A delegation of experts from the U.S. space agency visited the HUC facilities to assess its capabilities. According to José Antonio García Dopico, the hospital's medical director, the inspectors were "manifestly satisfied" with their findings.
The primary focus of interest for the delegation was the hospital's hyperbaric chamber, the only one of its kind in Macaronesia. García Dopico highlighted that this infrastructure is "much larger than the one they have in Houston," impressing the experts with its size and the high level of professionalism of the team, despite less than 5% of its caseload being related to decompression sickness.
“"They were very surprised by the facility, but above all by the technical level."
In an interview with Roberto González on Herrera en COPE Canarias, the medical director added that the nursing staff accumulates over 2,000 hours of experience in hyperbaric environments. Furthermore, the center uses the same decompression tables as the United States Navy, such as 5 and 6, and is prepared to apply table 9, underscoring its technical compatibility with international standards.
The visit also included an inspection of the emergency department to evaluate its response capacity. NASA experts observed a transfer simulation and analyzed coordination with the Canarian Emergency Service (SUC) for managing the arrival of multiple patients. García Dopico indicated that, in such a scenario, patients could be transferred to other centers, such as La Candelaria.
Although the inspection took place on a day with a normal influx of 276 patients, the HUC team was able to showcase an empty resuscitation bay. The medical director confirmed that both the internal organization and the human resources of the hospital met the space agency's expectations.
This agreement positions the Hospital Universitario de Canarias as a strategic alternative for future crewed Artemis missions. While the primary splashdown location is off the coast of San Diego (California), the HUC will function as a "'Plan B or C'," offering a crucial backup option in case of an emergency splashdown during the ascent or descent of the missions.
