The Pitiusa Health Department resumes face-to-face consultations from today in the Oncology service on Formentera, something that is possible since the new Oncologist, Dr. Maria Iglesias Gonzalez, has now joined the service. The doctor won a position in Oncology in the competitive examination held a few months ago, after the departure of the previous head of the service. The management assures that since face-to-face appointments were suspended on the island on April 27th, “it has not been necessary for any cancer patient to travel from Formentera, as they have been attended to by videoconference after individualized review of each case”.
The presidents of several cancer care associations celebrated the news yesterday morning. “It is one more step. I hope that normality will soon be restored,” indicated Helen Watson, of Ibiza and Formentera Against Cancer (IFCC). “What a joy! We are delighted. Let’s see if any more oncologists get involved,” commented Susana Ribas, spokeswoman for the Metastatic Cancer Association. Yesterday five oncologists were working at Can Misses, two from Mallorca (Raquel Marsé and Juan Coves) and three from the Ibizan service: Alicia QuÃlez, Carlos RodrÃguez Franco and MarÃa Iglesias.
Thus, with the arrival of Iglesias the service, which should have five oncologists, has two full-time specialists and a third one working 75% of the day. In other words, two oncologists are yet to be hired. The health management explains that they have commitment from a specialist to join Can Misses in September when his paternity leave ends and that they hope to be able to hire some of the residents who finish their training this year at the university hospitals of Son Llà tzer and Son Espases, in Mallorca.
Fewer oncologist visits from Mallorca
As long as the staff is incomplete, oncologists from Mallorca will continue to travel to Can Misses, visits that will now be reduced, the arrival of Iglesias aims to make it easier for the same patient to almost always be seen by the same oncologist. The new oncologist at the Ibizan hospital studied at the University of Seville and specialized in clinical oncology at Son Llà tzer. She is also specialized in gynecologic oncology, is principal investigator in several studies, is a member of the Balearic tumor committees and is a member of the Spanish Ovarian Cancer Research Group.
Health highlighted yesterday that during the first four months of the year the visits of oncologists in Mallorca allowed “a 10% increase” in first visits to the service: 136 compared to the 124 recorded between January and April in 2022.
The manager of the Health Department of Ibiza and Formentera, Carmen Santos, stressed the importance of having this new specialist in the Oncology service, which is incorporated with a permanent position. Santos pointed out that in the last two years the health department “has gained the loyalty of more than 200 professionals”. “Among them, 14 primary care physicians, 27 radiology and laboratory technicians and some 30 physicians from the Cardiology, Pharmacy, Internal Medicine, Ophthalmology, Otorhinolaryngology, Pediatrics, Urology, Emergency and Anesthesia services”, stated the management of the department, which pointed out that 11 nursing care technicians, more than 100 nurses, 23 midwives and 38 administrative assistants must be added to this.
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