The sanitary services are supporting reinforcement brigades at medical centers in areas affected by the forest fire in Tenerife.

Thus, during today, a dual team of doctors and nurses will be maintained in the Emergency Services (SNU) of the Los Realejos Medical Center, and the La Orotava Medical Center will be strengthened by a team of medicine and nurses, as well as continuous care points in Tacoronte and base medical zone in Santa Ursula, La Matanza and La Victoria de Acentejo, the latter at night.

Support groups will also continue to work on assessing evicted people who have been relocated to gyms and nursing homes. For this, a Home Assessment (VAD) reinforcement team will work in the Acentejo region, consisting of two nurses in the car and doctors in the coordination room, as well as a social worker in the Los Realejos area.

Likewise, the central warehouse for supplies of medicines and oxygen remains active in case its use is needed in the health centers of the affected municipalities.

Closing of peripheral offices

As a result of the evacuation of areas, the peripheral clinics of Ravelo, Chamiana, La Corujera and Palo Blanco were closed and medical teams were transferred to other referral centers to carry out planned activities with their patients.

With regard to the peripheral clinic in Ravelo, two Family Care Units (UAFs) have been relocated to the San Juan de los Perales, Tacoronte and El Sauzal Medical Centers, respectively. Teams will contact their patients by phone to let them know which center to go to for their scheduled event.

The medical staff of the peripheral clinics Chamiana in La Matanza and La Corujera in Santa Ursula have been transferred to their respective medical centers in both cities, where they will participate in the planned activities.

Medical teams from the Palo Blanco field office in Los Realejos joined the local medical center and joined the initial clinical trials at pavilions and centers set up for people evicted from the area.

mild respiratory illness

Over the weekend, primary health care services treated more eye and respiratory illnesses than usual at this time of year in the La Orotava and Güimar districts, but they are all mild, with no noticeable serious health incidents.

How to deal with smoke and ash

The Ministry of Health of the Government of the Canary Islands, through the General Directorate of Public Health of the GCS, reminds the population of the main recommendations to be taken into account in the event of forest fires like the one that is currently active on the island of Tenerife.

In this sense, experts insist that the smoke from forest fires consists of a mixture of gases and small particles that are released during the combustion of vegetation, building and other materials and can have respiratory effects on healthy and vulnerable people. .

Faced with such a situation, a number of recommendations are given to the population living in areas close to a forest fire in the presence of significant smoke and ash.

Vulnerable people and symptoms

Thus, these recommendations are intended for sensitive populations and groups at risk in these situations, such as people with pre-existing respiratory or cardiac conditions such as asthma, chronic bronchitis, and emphysema; boys and girls, pregnant women and the elderly; and those people who perform intense physical activity.

The main symptoms that these people may experience include coughing, irritation of the eyes, nose, or throat; difficult deep breathing; chest discomfort; palpitations, fatigue, and worsening symptoms in people with pre-existing respiratory or heart disease.

recommendations

The Directorate-General of Public Health communicates the following recommendations to the population of the affected areas:

◦ Avoid being outdoors and doing intense or prolonged physical activity.

◦ Close doors, windows, if you have an air conditioner, put it on recirculation mode and with clean filters.

◦ Outdoors, the use of an FFP2 mask is recommended to avoid breathing problems and protect the eyes as much as possible by rinsing them if necessary.

It is also recommended to pay special attention to the instructions they receive from civil protection authorities. In any emergency you must call the Canary Islands government emergency number 1-1-2 and for inquiries you must call 012 (922 470 012).