“HOne hundred years ago and today, we have a presence in all neighborhoods and towns; one hundred years ago and today, we are the most accessible healthcare providers for the population; one hundred years ago and today, we know our neighbors by name and their treatments; one hundred years ago y Today, our willingness to work together with the Administration and other healthcare professionals remains intact.”. This is how Loreto Gómez, president of the Official College of Pharmacists of Las Palmas, explained that the pharmaceutical commitment to Canary Island society has remained unaltered for one hundred years, despite the scientific and technological advances that have occurred in these one hundred years.
“¿SAnd imagine being able to have a discussion between the founders and us?”, said the president, “eThey could passionately explain to us how they faced smallpox, leprosy, or tuberculosis... and we would tell them how thousands of people today overcome cancer, how AIDS stopped being a death sentence, or how we responded to the COVID-19 pandemic.”.
He took the opportunity to make a firm recognition of the role that women play in the health sector.ario, pointing out that “something that would surely astonish our founding fathers, a fundamental progress: from an almost entirely male profession, the first woman in our province was registered two years after its founding, to a broadly female majority in the profession and where we are already the majority in many management bodies. Curiously, the same thing is happening in all healthcare professions. ”.
“Also with them, our founders”, asserted Gómez, “we would rack our brains looking for an explanation for the fact that in one hundred years we have gone from reverential respect for science at the beginning of the 20th century to idolizing hoaxes in the 21st century”.
Essential labor
For her part, the Minister of Health of the Canary Islands Government, Esther Monzón, stated: “We want to recognize your essential work, especially during the most challenging times, and reiterate our commitment to continue advancing together toward a more humane, innovative, and accessible healthcare system for all.”.
During his speech, he acknowledged the “values of closeness, accessibility, and commitment to patients”, and pointed out that “represent an unbeatable collaborative resource for the SCS”.
The event also featured a performance by timple player Germán López, with the closing remarks delivered by science communicator Fernando Fabiani, who gave a very engaging talk on the threat of overdiagnosis and the role of healthcare professionals in it.
