The union claims these measures will lead to a reduction in healthcare resources and "greater pressure" on healthcare professionals. According to information available to Satse, the plan includes the total closure of the Home Hospitalization Unit (HADO), the closure of beds in surgical wards, and staff reductions through redistribution. This policy, in their view, will result in fewer hires to cover vacation needs, creating "enormous uncertainty" among professionals and users.
Satse considers it "especially serious" that these decisions are being made amidst a context of high healthcare demand. The Emergency services at Nuestra Señora de Candelaria Hospital and Hospital del Sur attend an average of 500 people daily, a figure that makes "it difficult to understand the reduction in beds and resources," the organization states. They add that it is "foreseeable" that at numerous times it will be necessary to reopen closed beds and wards to meet existing demand, which would also require hiring new staff.
Therefore, the union demands that the Canary Islands Health Service provide "immediate and transparent" information regarding the vacation plan, planned closures, and human resources planning. They call for the replacement of one hundred percent of absences (vacations, sick leave, permits) to prevent the workload overload already borne by staff and to guarantee safe and quality healthcare. Satse rejects "any austerity policy" that means fewer beds, less hiring, and fewer resources for a population demanding effective and accessible public healthcare, stating that "healthcare cannot continue to function at the cost of the extraordinary effort of its professionals."
The union announces the commencement of protests at the Nuestra Señora de Candelaria Hospital to demand the "halt of these cuts, the maintenance of healthcare resources, and the necessary hiring to cover all the needs of the health system during the summer period." Simultaneously, Satse reminds that two demonstrations have already been called at the University Hospital of the Canary Islands (HUC) for similar reasons, anticipating a summer of mobilizations against the cuts promoted by the SCS in Tenerife's two main hospitals. The organization laments that, after the effort made during the pandemic, workers now see staff and resources reduced, jeopardizing both working conditions and the quality of care received by citizens.
