The Minister of Health, Carolina Darias, has highlighted the vocation, closeness, humanization of health care and, above all, the care that characterizes nursing professionals in our country.
He stressed this Tuesday during his speech at the ceremony of handing over the Simple Cross of the Civil Order of Health to the Nursing Coordinator of the Basic Health Area of Liébana, Aurora Aguilar; an act that he presided over together with the president of the Government of Cantabria, Miguel Ángel Revilla and which was also attended by the delegate of the Government in Cantabria, Ainoa Quiñones.
The Minister of Health recalled the role played by Nursing in the management of the pandemic caused by COVID-19 throughout the country and, especially, in places such as the region of Liébana and Peñarrubia, by facilitating access to diagnostic and preventive resources, such as the so-called ‘CoroAutos’ for the realization of PCR of the Cantabrian Health Service.
It has also highlighted the indispensable work carried out by nurses in the Vaccination Campaign against SARS-CoV-2 in our country, where 92.9% of the population over 12 years old already has a complete schedule, more than 26 million people have a first booster dose and 73% of those over 80 years old have a second booster with vaccines adapted to the Ómicron sublineages.
At this point, the Minister of Health has called to continue expanding the percentages of the Second Dose of Remembrance Campaign, and thus continue to protect the population against the virus, especially the most vulnerable people.
In this context, Carolina Darias has reaffirmed the commitment of the Government of Spain to Nursing and the strengthening of its leadership, through realities such as the Framework Initiative on Care for the National Health System (IMACU) or the progress in the validation of nursing prescription guidelines, in compliance with the Plan of Action for Primary and Community Care 2022-2023.
Thus, the minister has detailed, after the approval and publication of three new guidelines on hypertension, diabetes mellitus type 1 and type 2 and burns in 2021, and that of Wounds in 2020, the Ministry has already published the first guide of Nursing Prescription of 2023, aimed at patients with Ostomies.
Strengthening Rural Health Care
In line with these statements, the Minister of Health has also stressed the commitment of the Government of Spain to improving the situation of health professionals "cornerstone of our National Health System", with the strengthening of Primary Care and, uniquely, with the support of rural Primary Care.
Thus, Darias recalled, the General Budgets of the State for 2023 contemplate more than 800 million euros to continue implementing Primary Care, with the inclusion of provisions for digitization, Oral Health or for the improvement of infrastructures and equipment.
In addition, it has added, a budget of more than 172 euros is included to continue developing the Primary Care Action Plan 2022-2023; a program that will allow prioritizing measures such as the development of incentives for attraction and retention in difficult positions such as rural areas, an objective for which a specific working group has already been created with all communities and autonomous cities.
Aurora Aguilar Cánovas
The nurse Aurora Aguilar Cánovas began her professional career 42 years ago and, since 2009, she holds the position of Head of Nursing in the Cantabrian region of Liébana and Peñarrubia, which serves a population close to the 4,800 inhabitants of the municipalities of Vega de Liébana, Cabezón de Liébana, Pesaguero, Cillorigo, Camaleño, Espinama and La Hermida -Peñarrubia-Tresviso.
“A committed worker, an excellent professional, tireless caregiver, loved and recognized both by the neighbors of this region and by her colleagues,” said the Health Minister.
Likewise, in the proposal to grant the Simple Cross of the Civil Order, the Ministry of Health of the Government of Cantabria highlights the referent character of Aurora Aguilar Cánovas as a care professional and her defense of the integration, equity, monitoring and monitoring of the health of the population in the rural world.
Also with a degree in Radiology, she has participated in several conferences on nursing methodology and community educational talks, also highlighting her involvement in the Contingency Plan against COVID-19.
The event, held in the social halls of the Balneario de La Hermida in the municipality of Peñarrubia, was also attended by, among other authorities, the Health Councilor of Cantabria, Raúl Pesquera; the delegate of the Government in the autonomous community, Ainoa Quiñones; the manager of the Cantabrian Health Service (SCS), Rafael Sotoca; and Seconino Caso, mayor of Peñarrubia and president of the Spanish Network of Rural Development (REDR).