Migration crisis in the Canary Islands There is no space in the IML for a machine that determines the age of immigrants

the Lack of space in it Institute of Forensic Medicine (IML) in Santa Cruz de Tenerife Use prohibited One of the teams Bought by him Government of the Canary Islands to Determine real age Of people who say they are Unaccompanied alien minors.

That wayin Tenerife It can't be crowded the Accumulation to job Assumed in the tools used for this purpose in Our Lady of La Candelaria University Hospital (Hunsk).

Ministry presidency, justice It purchased the security of the Canary Islands government Bone diagram (an x-ray device for taking panoramic

However, it remains inside a box as of now, as there is no physical space to put it in, according to sources from the Institute of Forensic Medicine (IML). Part of the employees of the aforementioned center began an indefinite strike on Wednesday, with the aim of dismissing the director, Jesús Vega, due to his alleged mismanagement and lack of transparency, as well as the lack of human resources and material means.

The staff of the institution regrets that “no one has planned where the orthopedic imaging site will be located” and this is also the responsibility of the director.

IML officials explain that installing the X-ray machine requires a “lead space,” that is, with insulation to prevent radiation.

The only “lead” room in the Forensic Medicine Institute’s headquarters is occupied by the machine that uses radiological examinations on corpses. However, professionals believe that this space is a “dirty place”, so much so that objects in various states of preservation pass through there. That is, it is not appropriate to place new equipment there.

It should be noted that the Ministry of Justice has obtained two orthopedic images, one of the IML in Santa Cruz de Tenerife and the other of Las Palmas, with the aim of speeding up the radiological tests performed on migrants who claim to be minors. To determine whether they are or not.

In the facilities of the Institute of Forensic Medicine in Las Palmas there is a place to place the above-mentioned machine.

This is one of the complaints that emerged on the first day of the strike by IML workers in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, in which forensic doctors, autopsy assistants, preparers and judicial assistants participated. It is worth noting that the mobilization took place at the invitation of the trade unions Intersindical Canaria (IC), the Workers' Committees (CCOO), the Central Autonomous Trade Union and Civil Servants (CSIF), and the Confederation of Workers of the Administration of Justice (STAJ).

Some sources explained that on Wednesday there were 20 FFP3 masks and bottles of formalin already started in the autopsy area of ​​the Institute of Legal Medicine in Tenerife, which were loaned by the Institute of Toxicology and Forensic Sciences of the Ministry of Justice. They also pointed out the lack of scalpel blades.

According to the strike committee, the reason for this shortage is that on February 1, a request was issued for materials and after three weeks those products did not arrive.

Among the deficiencies in the operation of the facilities, they mention that since January 31, the door to the autopsy room has not been working, and one of the tables where forensic experts analyze the causes of deaths has also not been working.

Specifically, one of the lids used to handle formaldehyde, a carcinogenic product, was not working. Union sources explained that the director and deputy director of the institute were informed of the shortcomings, but no news was received. The same letter was later sent to the General Directorate for Relations with the Administration of Justice and to the delegation for the prevention of occupational risks. From that moment on, action was taken.

Staff at the Institute of Forensic Medicine regret that although there is a significant lack of material resources and personnel that are not covered, “which are scandalous priorities”, a large amount of money is spent on purchasing a video recording system for autopsies, which includes cameras, monitors or audio equipment. , among other things.

One problem is that using the aforementioned audio-visual equipment requires an autopsy assistant to operate it from outside the room. However, this is not easy, because IML has only three professionals of this category to cover the requirements of Tenerife, La Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro.

Union sources also criticize the fact that unaccompanied minor migrants are screened without the presence of an official translator. In this case, teachers, caregivers in reception centres, or other migrant minors, translate the dialogues between forensic experts and users.

The Socialist Group in the Parliament of the Canary Islands will ask the Minister of the Presidency, Justice and Security, Neves Lady Barreto, to provide clarifications about what is happening at the Forensic Institute at the plenary session on February 27.

Moreover, employees who were dissatisfied with the management and organization of work at the enterprise filed a complaint with the Joint Council of the Archipelago, which has already been accepted for consideration.