August tenth is Worldwide LGBTQ+ Tourism Day, and Maspalomas is world well-known for its giant Rainbow Neighborhood in addition to welcoming an estimated 15% of Canary Islands tourism oriented particularly in the direction of this sector. Maspalomas can also be, subsequently, a focus for a lot of overseas residents who work inside tourism associated companies, and amongst whom there are a variety of HIV+ sufferers who, with the appropriate medical help, are capable of efficiently handle their situation and related pathologies. Nevertheless an oversight within the care provision right here on the islands has meant that giant numbers of those sufferers face lengthy journeys to gather the prescribed drugs they’re prescribed, which has led ACES – The Affiliation of Associates in opposition to AIDS – on Gran Canaria, this Wednesday, to demand that HIV sufferers residing on the south of the island be allowed to gather their common and mandatory drugs straight from the Maspalomas Well being Centre, fairly than having to journey 40 kilometres away to obtain such remedies from the closest enabled medical amenities in El Calero, Telde.
In an announcement launched in the present day, the Deputy of the Widespread, Rafael Yanes, the Canary Islands Parliament Excessive Commissioner for the defence citizen’s social rights on the islands, has reported having met with the representatives of ACES, Orlando Viera and Alberto Pérez, who communicated the pressing wants of the greater than 200 sufferers, at present with HIV, who reside within the municipality of San Bartolomé de Tirajana, on the south of Gran Canaria, who’re pressured to undertake an arduous common journey to gather prescribed drugs which, within the opinion of the not-for-profit who’ve been working on the island since 1996, must be made out there nearer to the place they stay.
The not-for-profit group, who’ve been instrumental in highlighting the plight of HIV victims, affirmed that sufferers residing with this illness, and with different related pathologies, persistently current bodily issues or lack of means in with the ability to journey lengthy distances.
“The neighbourhood of El Calero, which is the place they need to choose up their treatment, doesn’t have one of the best signage or entry. There are a lot of sufferers who would not have cash for the bus, or sufficient vitality to get round, on account of pathologies related to the illness”, the ACES spokespersons identified.
The aim is for these sufferers to have the ability to choose up their antiretroviral treatment on the Maspalomas well being centre, the place they’re registered, and the place they reside legally.
“The Administration of the Maspalomas Well being Centre has proven whole settlement with this drawback, but it surely should be the Insular Hospital that provides the go-ahead for this treatment to be delivered to the Centre” they add.
Yanes has promised to switch the request to the Canary Islands’ Minister of Well being, Blas Trujillo. “What this Affiliation is asking for appears very affordable to us. They’re glad with the care and professionalism of the well being employees, however they request they bring about medical care nearer to folks, one thing that I do know is in keeping with the intentions of the Well being Minister himself” he concluded.
GLAY President, André van Wanrooj, liable for the Gays and Lesbians Associates of Yumbo, in Playa del Inglés, who based Maspalomas PRIDE Gran Canaria 20 years in the past this yr, has stated unequivocally “This deserves our help. Most cancers sufferers are capable of get most of their treatment on the common pharmacy. Solely chemotherapy, and some very particular drugs (in relation to radiation remedy) can be found solely within the hospital (Insular and/or Negrin). Chemo-pumps may be changed on the Centro Salud Maspalomas however HIV victims and cardio sufferers must get their meds at El Calero in Telde. It’s a very lengthy option to journey, significantly for anybody who’s battling a life threatening sickness.”
“GLAY,” he added “and the broader Maspalomas neighborhood, whole-heartedly help ACES of their calls for to assist all fighters and survivors, who rely on such drugs, to have the ability to entry their prescriptions on the south of the island, fairly than having to journey usually unmanageable distances, which then requires the help of already over-stretched volunteer teams like ACES and GLAY. We have now religion that this challenge may be resolved as a matter of nice urgency.”
Orlando Viera Morales tells TheCanaryNews.com that since November 2021, he has been making an attempt to get the Centro de Salud Maspalomas, well being centre, to supply a spot to select up Antiretroviral Treatment, for all Residents in San Bartolomé de Tirajana, struggling with HIV/AIDS. In his outreach program, wherein he has been a lead volunteer for almost 3 many years, he has common contact with round 100 sufferers residing within the space, and lots of extra who go to him with much less regularity for assist and recommendation.
He has personally delivered letters and requests to the Insular Hospital, to the Servicio Canario de Salud, the Gerencia de Atención Primaria de Gran Canaria (Gran Canaria Main Care Administration) and to the Ayuntamiento de San Bartolomé de Tirajana city corridor, who administrate the Maspalomas and Playa del Inglés areas.
He says that although they’ve acquired the verbal help of the southern City Council, they haven’t, up to now, acquired a response from Servicio Canario de Salud, Canarian Well being Service, who’re those who can authorise a Pharmacy Service corresponding to this in Centro de Salud de Maspalomas.
“For the time being everybody should go to El Calero Hospital in Telde, with unhealthy penalties for the sufferers” says Orlando Viera Morales “It’s too removed from San Bartolomé de Tirajana, and direct transport doesn’t exist, the sufferers should go by way of a bus that stops in Melenara, then take a taxi to the hospital in El Calero, after which to do the identical journey in reverse. A lot of them would not have the assets, or they really feel too sick to journey by bus and stroll all the best way to the hospital.”
