The Xunta Council approves allocating 760,000 euros in 2024 to a comprehensive psychological care plan in matters of gender violence
SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA, June 10 (EUROPA PRESS) –
Galicia will start next week a prostate cancer pilot project to “improve the diagnosis” of a tumor that causes 500 deaths each year in the community.
This was announced this Monday by the president of the Xunta, Alfonso Rueda, in the appearance after the celebration of the Xunta Council.
In this way, he pointed out, the Galician community “will be the first in Spain” to start these tests. This screening is part of the European project PRAISE-U (Prostate Cancer Awareness and Detection Initiative in the EU) and aims to improve the early diagnosis of this disease and reduce false positives. that are detected with current controls.
Galicia will be the first region to start the project, in which Catalonia (Manresa), Lithuania, Poland and Ireland also participate.
As Rueda has announced, screening will be launched in the Ferrol health area “with the aim of reaching 12,000 men between 50 and 69 years old.”
Starting next Monday, June 17, the target population will begin to receive SMS messages or letters — in the case of not having registered the telephone number on their health card — to participate in screening.
Invitations will be made once a month for a year until the goal of 12,000 men in the Ferrol area is reached. The communications will contain a link with screening information and a specific telephone number will be offered, attended by technical staff from the Early Disease Detection Service of the Ministry of Health, so that guests can resolve possible questions.
Those who agree to participate will be scheduled for blood sample extraction and will follow the protocol based on their result. If this result exceeds the established limit, patients will be referred to the urology service to carry out the corresponding tests to stratify the risk of suffering from prostate cancer.
Additionally, the project will investigate the psychosocial impact and participants’ perceptions of screening that includes digital rectal examination among the tests to be performed based on the previous blood test result.
XUNTA WILL COMPUTERIZE THE UCIS TO INCORPORATE AI
On the other hand, the president of the Xunta has reported that they will computerize the Critical Care Units (ICUs) of all Sergas hospitals to incorporate Artificial Intelligence and an alert system to support health decisions.
As reported, the Xunta will contract this year the system that will allow all critical care units to be computerized for an estimated value of 2.4 million euros.
At its meeting this Monday, the Xunta Council addressed a report on the processing of the two-year framework agreement for the acquisition of this system, a project co-financed by the European Union, through the FEDER Program of Galicia 2021-2027.
With the digitization of the data of patients in serious or very serious condition, it will be possible to incorporate artificial intelligence models with which to apply predictive algorithms, incorporate an alert and event management system that allows instant knowledge of the patient’s status. This will help the decision-making of health personnel and provide the units with the capacity to perform data analysis for the preparation of studies and research or for the development of care protocols.
The system will collect and process all the information related to the patient’s situation, in real time and in an automated manner. In this way, it will be possible to include this data in the patient’s electronic medical record, and share the information with professionals beyond critical care units, among others.
Once the contract is formalized this year, the information system will be installed in all hospitals in the health areas of Ferrol; Lugo, A Mariña and Monforte de Lemos; Ourense, Verín and O Barco de Valdeorras; Pontevedra and O Salnés; and Santiago de Compostela and Barbanza throughout the years 2025 and 2026.
CAFETERIA CONTRACTING FOR PUBLIC HOSPITALS IN CORUÑA
Likewise, the Galician Executive has authorized the contracting of a service concession for the operation of the cafeteria of the Public University Hospital of A Coruña; of the Oza Maritime Hospital; of the Abente y Lago Hospital, and the cafeteria of the Ventorrillo Specialty Center, all of them dependent on the health area of A Coruña and Cee.
The contract is put out to tender for an estimated value of 10,567,508 euros and a period of four years, plus a possible extension of one year.
The reason for this contract is to satisfy the provision of a cafeteria-dining room service for the staff of these centers, users, family members and companions of the patients who receive care in these health facilities.
PROGRAMS FOR PEOPLE WITH CEREBRAL PALSY
The Xunta Council has also authorized the signing of two collaboration agreements between the Department of Social Policy and Equality and the Galician Federation of Associations of Relatives of People with Mental Illness (Mental Health—Feafes Galicia) and the Galician Federation of Care for People with Cerebral Palsy (Aspace Galicia).
The regional Executive will allocate more than 700,000 euros during 2024 to finance programs and services provided by these two federations and from which around 6,000 people benefit.
PSYCHOLOGICAL CARE PLAN FOR GENDER VIOLENCE
Finally, the Galician Government has approved allocating 760,000 euros throughout 2024 to a comprehensive psychological care plan for gender violence, which includes different specialized and free services in this area aimed at victims of gender violence, of sexual abuse and minor aggressors who have a judicial measure imposed.
To develop it, the Xunta renews the collaboration it maintains with the Official College of Psychology of Galicia and the Alar Galicia and Nenos foundations.
The Plan encompasses four programs, two of them will be on behalf of the Official College of Psychology of Galicia and consist of care for women and minors who suffer gender violence, as well as members of their family environment; and in a specialized and permanent on-call service for women and their minor daughters and sons affected by gender violence.
Likewise, through the Alar Foundation, the Fénix program of prevention and comprehensive intervention measures with adolescents and perpetrators of gender violence who are referred by the Juvenile Prosecutor’s Office will continue.
And finally, with Nenos the intervention program will be developed with women victims of sexual abuse and with minors victims of gender violence. During this year 2024, more than 1,800 people will be able to benefit from this comprehensive Plan.