# Canary Islands - Medical care



## titania (Jan 3, 2013)

Hi good people 

I've been on this forum and posted quite a bit already... and thanks to you all, I have received much information but I need one last piece of advice before taking the plunge, as I have just agreed on the sale of my house, and I should be ready to move in a few months' time.

Since I started my researching crusade, I have been diagnosed with an (incurable) illness - rheumatoid arthritis. It's that illness which twists your fingers and toes and knees out of any recognizable shape and makes normal daily living difficult and painful  I don't yet know whether it will stay light or become very severe but I'm sure the climate in the Canary Islands will be beneficial. So, I'll be going to move somewhere on the Canary Islands in a few months' time. I have visited Tenerife earlier this year, but not the other islands.

This illness means that I will need health care, progressively more advanced health care with a state-of-the-art hospital/clinic until... well, until I'm dead - hopefully not too soon - it's measured in years, say 15-20 years if I am lucky.

My future location depends on my finding a good, fairly young, hospital rheumatologist, or a dedicated hospital rheumatology team in a good - possibly the best - hospital of the islands, to take over my present care in France/Switzerland. I will need regular expensive medicines, imagery (MRI/Doppler Ultrasound/CT scans), possibly a PET scan if it exists there although this one may not be absolutely indispensable, biology labs for complicated blood work for antibodies, and a good orthopaedic surgery hospital to repair my joints when they become too damaged.

Cost or insurance will not a problem, that's already sorted out.

Would one of you be able to advise me which island/which town on this island would be best suited in terms of the health care I will require?

Cheers and many thanks.
Titania


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## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

The provincial capitals, Santa Cruz de Tenerife or Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, they seem to have the more specialized health services located there. 

We on the smaller islands have adequate medical facilities for the run of the mill illnesses, however such facilities that you require would probably be on the above, if not located there, the patient would be transported to the Iberian part of Spain, often Barcelona.

I would research both capitals, however both are located in the north of the respective islands and I would imagine that the climates of the dry warm south of both islands might suit you better.

I hope this will be of some use to you.


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## titania (Jan 3, 2013)

Hi Hepa  - how's your volcano doing?

Thanks indeed for this information. Yes, the southern parts of both islands would be better as they won't trigger my personal weather forecast.

However, there will come a time when I'll need to be nearer the capitals. How soon that time will come, I am not yet certain, it may be some months before I get a better idea of the progression of my illness - medicine is an art more than a science when it comes to predictions.....

Except for someone with personal experience to tell me which of the two have the best hospital facilities and modern doctors - Las Palmas or Santa Cruz - I don't know how I could research their "quality" over the Internet. Doctors/hospitals are generally forbidden from making their own publicity, and if they do it in any way, it's probably not going to mention the bad sides. I've looked up a specialized medical publications database, but Canarian teams usually publish their articles jointly for both islands' hospitals, so I don't know which is more advanced than the other.

I'm not interested in kind doctors with bedside manners inversely proportionate to their knowledge, or extremely shiny walls and rooms facilities, I just want the most efficient doctors even without any basic courtesy in even turn-of-the-century buildings!

So, if one of our forum members has had personal or family experience of care facilities there, I'm a taker for their opinion 

Thanks a zillion to all
Titania


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## maxd (Mar 22, 2009)

Hospitals in Tenerife and general healthcare in Tenerife information.

I think the mega big south hospital not finished at all though. The weather in tenerife is fantastic for your condition.


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## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

Shhhhhhhh, the Volcano is sleeping


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## titania (Jan 3, 2013)

maxd said:


> Hospitals in Tenerife and general healthcare in Tenerife information.
> 
> I think the mega big south hospital not finished at all though. The weather in tenerife is fantastic for your condition.


MaxD - thanks indeed for this information.


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## GUAPACHICA (Jun 30, 2012)

Hi - sorry to hear about your diagnosis! However, it would seem that you're not allowing it to affect your future migration plans - good for you!

Although my own location's within Peninsular Spain, I have a very good friend, a qualified doctor and consultant, now based in the more modern of the two public hospitals in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria. It's a teaching hospital and is considered to be _'state of the art'_, in terms both of resources and practice. I can't recall its name, but if you check online, it's the one which resembles a rather large, multi-storey hotel, LOL!

Again, as you've been advised, here - the hottest sunshine's to be found in the south of the island, but so are the tourist hoardes! 


Saludos,
GC


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## titania (Jan 3, 2013)

Hi Guapachica, so many thanks for this information . It does look like as if my last year's plans to move to the sunshine must have been a subconscious forewarning that is what I would need when retiring in the next few months. Thanks again. Titania


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## ANNIE100 (Oct 3, 2013)

I had a elderly cat in the in the UK who never liked going outdoors with stiff joints however from the day he arrived in gran canaria we couldnt get him to come indoors and his health improved it was like having a different cat. Just think what a good climate can do for humans xx


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