The territorial fragmentation of the Canary Islands presents a logistical challenge for organ transplants, where travel time between islands can be crucial. The SUC is responsible for coordinating routes, times, and land and air resources to ensure organs arrive at the Archipelago's hospitals in optimal condition.
During the first half of 2026, 14 air services were carried out to transport organs and, at times, healthcare personnel between Gran Canaria and Tenerife. This figure surpasses the 20 mobilizations recorded throughout 2025, indicating an upward trend in the activation of these devices.
In collaboration with extraction teams and transplant coordination units of the Canary Health Service, the SUC prioritizes reducing travel times. Doctors and nurses supervise each route and minute from the emergency room, aware that the organ's viability depends on it.
The SUC's operation is not limited to medicalized helicopters; planes, medicalized ambulances, basic life support ambulances, and non-urgent medical transport vehicles are also used, depending on the distance and urgency. This combination of air and land resources connects hospitals and allows for rapid response upon confirmation of a donation.
In addition to organ transport, the SUC participates in mobilizing specialized doctors and nurses when they need to travel to another island to participate in extraction or implantation procedures, thus optimizing the transplant chain in the archipelago.
