With more than 20 years of experience in health emergencies, Antuanet Safar Samaan is a nurse and the assistant director of the Galeno clinic, a center that triples its staff of 20 professionals during the summer in order to treat tourists.
How stressful do you find working in a medical center on an island like Ibiza?
When your work is your vocation, I don’t consider anything to be stressful. It is true that in this profession there is stress and you have to be alert at all times, but I don’t think that working in a medical center in Ibiza is any different from working in the rest of Spain. In fact, I worked in a hospital in Barcelona for several years and I can corroborate this statement firsthand.
Where do you provide health cover?
All over Ibiza. We have a fleet of seven ambulances covering all kinds of medical services. We have bases on various points of the island: at Sant Antoni, in es Canar and at Platja d’en Bossa. We are also at Ibiza airport where we provide health services all year round.
“In Ibiza we are promoting increasingly healthy tourism.“
Which is the most common injury that you see during the summer season?
It depends a lot on the type of patient and their age. For example, in the northern part of the island, the most common injuries among the elderly are hip and wrist traumas due to accidental falls. And in the areas where there are younger people, it’s more dislocated shoulders, cuts and, unfortunately, alcohol and drug consumption.
Are there a lot of patients with alcohol and drug issues?
It is true that alcohol and drugs lead to many health-care visits, but it is also important to mention that healthier tourism is being promoted, based on cultural and sporting events, which leads to other types of treatments.
Galeno is present at all kinds of events, nightclubs and concerts. Is this demand on the rise?
Yes, especially at sporting events. In recent years, Ibiza has become a focus for sports and there are more and more well-attended events being organized.
What advice would you give people to stay safe during their vacations?
We recommend that they take advantage of their stay to get to know the true Ibiza: its beaches, its culture, its diversity and its leisure options, while always behaving responsibly.
