Fuerteventura Infant Undergoes MRI at Gran Canaria Hospital After Strike-Related Delay
A five-month-old infant from Fuerteventura who faced a delayed magnetic resonance imaging scan at the Hospital Universitario Materno Infantil de Canarias due to an ongoing indefinite strike by physicians across the archipelago has finally undergone the diagnostic procedure. The baby’s mother, Desirée Asencio, confirmed that the exploration was conducted from the early hours of Tuesday morning and noted that the family is now awaiting hospital discharge. “Everything went very well and I am much calmer now,” she expressed.
The case came to light when the mother detailed the family’s ordeal in completing necessary medical evaluations for the child. The baby was transferred from Fuerteventura to the Gran Canaria facility on Friday after presenting with an intermittent bulging fontanelle, a medical presentation that necessitated an urgent MRI. Because medical walkouts began that exact day, the scheduled examination could not take place as planned, triggering an extended wait alongside significant financial strain for the relatives.
The General Hospital of Fuerteventura lacks the specialized resources required to perform the procedure locally, prompting the medical evacuation by air ambulance. After spending the weekend admitted to the Gran Canaria hospital, the parents were initially told the examination would occur on Monday, leading them to keep the infant fasting from the previous night. However, hospital staff informed them that morning that the scan could not proceed due to the strike action.
The resulting delay prolonged the family’s uncertainty as they awaited the completion of the diagnostic study to return home. Beyond the anxiety surrounding the child’s health, the stay away from their home island triggered substantial economic difficulties. Asencio criticized current public support systems for medical travel, arguing that existing assistance frameworks fail to resolve immediate logistical burdens faced by patients and companions.
While expressing understanding for the medical staff’s labor demands, the mother emphasized that government support remains insufficient for families forced to travel for healthcare. Both parents were compelled to absorb local transportation expenses and advance their own subsistence funds during the stay in Gran Canaria, noting that reimbursements and allowances provided by the regional health department’s executive branch must be claimed retroactively upon returning home.
The regional health administration updated its subsistence allowances in July for patients and companions receiving medical care outside their island of residence, raising daily food allowances from 37.40 to 39 euros per person. Daily accommodation support was likewise adjusted from 65.97 to 106.94 euros. For continuous long-term stays, regulations establish a maximum limit of 1,900 euros per month per person starting from the third month. Asencio highlighted that administrative processes do not provide upfront funds for local transit, leaving vulnerable patients to navigate expenses independently while calling for better-equipped local medical facilities across all islands to prevent mandatory inter-island transfers.
