Established in 1989, the Fundacion Espriu integrates the bodies that practice the cooperative healthcare model created by Dr. Josep Espriu: Augtogestió Sanitària, SCIAS, Lavinia and ASISA, which form the Assistència Group and the ASISA Group.
MEDICAL NEWS
World AIDS Day is celebrated on the 1st of December. We will tell you all about it in this issue.
HEALTH IN THE AUTUMN
A practical guide to portable food to ensure healthy eating at work.
OPTHALMOLOGY HEALTHCARE COOPERATIVISM IN DEPTH
According to the WHO, over two million people suffer from sight impairment. What are the main causes and how can we prevent them?
ASISA and Assistència Sanitària are launching new campaigns and services and they indicate a positive balance that is driving the fourth quarter of the year forward.
Hospitals are one of the most contaminating infrastructures. How can the healthcare sector effectively become integrated into the circular economy?
A sustainable infrastructure for everyone
The environmental footprint of hospitals and health centres is significant owing to the enormous amount of waste generated on a daily basis, from disposable plastics to pharmaceutical products. ASISA and Assistència Sanitària, cutting-edge examples in hospital sustainability, are working hard on this aspect and, in the central report of this issue, we will show you how they are leading the way towards a more aware, circular management of their resources. The implementation of green technologies, recycling programmes and waste reduction are some of the initiatives that they are implementing for the most immediate future and we want to show you some of the advances.
In addition to going into the concept of circular economy in depth, on our health pages you will be able to read about healthy food at work, discover an ophthalmologic guide with advice for looking after your sight health or learn how to act if you ever get lost in the mountains, a very frequent occurrence in recent years.
Taking advantage of the arrival of autumn, we have selected some activities that could be interesting, from five proposals for celebrating Halloween in different places, to an exhibition by the Japanese contemporary artist, Yoshitomo Nara. And if you prefer something more peaceful, as always, we also bring you recommendations of books and series for enjoying a classic stay-at-home plan, ideal for this season.
DESTINATIONS
Discover the traditions of five places around the world and the different origins behind the celebration of Halloween. The Bilbao Guggenheim Museum has commissioned an exhibition that will cover the last forty years of the artist Yoshitomo Nara.
Finally, we cannot forget to mention that in our next issue we will inaugurate the International Year of Cooperatives, a date that we hope will mean a before and after in understanding social and cooperative work. You may read more about this in the section about the Fundación, where I, personally, explain our preliminary launch, organised by the United Nations Committee for the Promotion and Advance of Cooperatives (COPAC) at the UN head offices in New York.
Carlos
Zarco
General
Manager of the Fundacion Espriu
Immunotherapy treatment in metastatic melanomas prolongs life for up to ten years
A
recent study directed by the oncologist Jedd Wolchok, of the New York – Presbyterian/ Weill Cornell Medical Center, presented during the European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) and published simultaneously in the magazine New England Journal of Medicine, has revealed significant advances in the treatment of metastatic melanoma. The discoveries show that almost half of the patients treated with immunotherapy survive cancer-free for a decade after the treatment, which represents an important achievement in the fight against this type of skin cancer.
The follow-up study centred on patients who received a combination of inhibitors of immune
A new technique to discover urine infections in 45 minutes has been approved
There are over four hundred million cases of urine infections every year, and they particularly affect women. These infections extend to the bladder, the urethra and the kidneys and they happen when certain skin or rectum bacteria enter the urethra and infect the urine tract.
In order to identify them, a culture and a sensitivity test is required to discover the type of antibiotic that will be most effective against the bacteria, a procedure which, up until now, usually took an average of four days.
However, a new analysis system called Sysmex PA-100 AST can detect the presence of bacteria in the urine and carry out the antimicrobial sensitivity tests in just forty-five minutes.
The research has been carried out in the Hospital de Sant Pau with the collaboration of the company Sysmex, and the results show that the test reaches a sensitivity of 84% and a specificity of 99.4% for the bacteria species that cause uncomplicated infections.
International...
...Universal Health Coverage Day
On the 12th of December, 2017 the United Nationals proclaimed the Universal Health Coverage Day, aimed at increasing awareness regarding the need to have solid, resilient health systems.
The top level meeting of the United Nations, held in September, 2023, reaffirmed that universal health coverage is essential in order to reach all the Sustainable Development Goals. However, it is estimated that half of the world population does not have access to essential healthcare services. This year, on the 12th of December, the commitment in favour of accessible, quality health care for everyone is commemorated for the seventh time.
Can chocolate be healthy?
Some studies suggest that moderate (2-3 times a week) eating of chocolate with a high cocoa content (70% or higher), can have positive effects on cardiovascular health owing to its flavonoid content, with antioxidant properties.
The conversation between Patricia Martínez and Diego Redolar, two professors from the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) follows the same lines, contemplating some of the positive effects of eating chocolate in a regulated way. Amongst others, they mention the inhibition of the oxidation of the LDL cholesterol, vessel regulation and the improvement of the endothelial dysfunction, its anti-inflammatory properties and modulators of the immune response and finally, its antiplatelet and anti-hypertensive effect, that is to say, its repercussions on mood improvement.
controlpoints, a method of immunotherapy that allows the immune system to attack the tumour, overcoming the obstacles that this puts up to avoid being detected. The approach radically improved patient prognosis, prolonging their survival and maintaining the therapeutic effect for several years.
Just fifteen years ago, survival of patients with metastatic melanoma was minimal, as there were no effective treatments to slow down its progression and the average life expectancy was just six months. Today, thanks to advances such as immunotherapy, a patient with this type of skin cancer can now live for over ten years.
However, Martínez and Redolar also warn that eating chocolate at night can cause insomnia, as it has some alkaloids known as methylxanthines that are stimulators of the nervous system. They also uphold the importance of reading the ingredients of products containing chocolate, as derived products do not usually have more than 50% of pure cocoa, meaning its antioxidant effect losses effectiveness.
Four facts about HIV/AIDS published by the WHO
HIV continues to be one of the largest public health problems in the world, particularly in countries with low and medium incomes. Within this context, the WHO is encouraging countries to formulate and implement policies and programmes to improve and extend services related to HIV. Likewise, the organisation has recently published some up-dated facts about the disease.
1
HIV infects the cells of the immune system. The infection causes the progressive deterioration of the immune system and destroys the body’s capacity to defend itself from other infections and diseases. When talking about AIDS (acquired immune-deficiency syndrome), this refers to the most advanced stage of the disease, in which the body has overcome around twenty infections.
2 Antiretroviral treatment (ARV) prevents the multiplication of the HIV in the body. An effective ARVT decreases the viral load, that is to say, the amount of virus in the body, which reduces its risk of transmission. If the seropositive member of a couple is being treated with an effective antiretroviral and has an undetectable viral load, the risk of sexual transmission to the seronegative member is zero.
3 In the world, 39.9 million people live with HIV, of which 1.4 million are children. The wide majority of people with HIV live in countries with low and medium incomes. Up to 42.3 million people have died due to causes related to HIV to date, including 630,000 people in 2023.
4 Elimination of mother-to-child transmission is becoming a reality. By 2023, 84% of all pregnant women globally living with HIV (1.2 million women) were receiving antiretrovirals. By May 2024, 19 countries and territories had been validated as having eliminated mother-to-child transmission of HIV.
The study shows the success of immunotherapy in controlling melanoma in a sustained way.
Glass containers with airtight lids are recommended. If they are made of plastic, they should be food safe
Healthy, safe FOOD at work
When preparing your healthy ‘tuppers’ to take to work, the main food safety rules must be taken into account.
by Silvia Cardona
Eating out every day can be a challenge for many people. Preparing food to take with you is a solution that allows for a healthy, conscious diet to be maintained. In these cases it is necessary to know what types of foods are suitable for preparing tuppers and how to prevent them from going to waste. The first point is to plan which dishes to include in the meals for every day of the week. To achieve a complete dish, the recommendation involves basing yourself on the proportions used in the plate method or Harvard plate, which tries to ensure that:
• Half of the plate contains vegetables, either raw or cooked.
• Quarter of the plate includes a protein-rich food. It is recommended to interchange between foods of animal origin, such as fish and meat and vegetable origin, such as legumes.
• The remaining quarter of the plate contains a food that is rich in carbohydrates. For example, wholegrain cereals or tubers.
Likewise, some basic hygiene rules must be taken into account when preparing the dishes;
• Wash your hands correctly before handling food, as well as the surfaces and utensils that you are going to use.
• Avoid contact between meat, fish and raw eggs with other ready-to-eat foods, whether they are raw or cooked.
How to store the food and how long it lasts in the fridge
Glass recipients with hermetic lids are the most recommended and sustainable. If plastic containers are used, they must be suitable for food, which can be checked with the presence of a symbol including
a glass and a fork. Moreover, it is essential to avoid plastic recipients that are for single use and/or contain harmful substances such as bisphenol A (BPA) or phthalates.
Most cooked dishes can last several days in the fridge. Preparations with cooked meat, eggs or fish, vegetables, tubers or legumes can last up to three days when chilled. However, some foods require a more specialised handling. For example, it is not advisable to store cooked pasta or rice for more than one or two days in the fridge.
When transporting the food from home to the office, the chain of cold should not be broken with sudden changes of temperature. To do this, the tuppers should be kept in an isothermal bag as it helps to keep the foods insulated and chilled. Once at work, put the food in the fridge again until eating it. The food can
be reheated in the microwave whenever indicated on the recipient with a symbol of several wavy lines.
Store cupboard basics
Having a well-stocked store cupboard at work can make meals more practical, healthy and tasty. Amongst the basic foods that can be stored are instant grains, such as quinoa or rice; tinned proteins such as tuna, sardines or tinned chicken; wheat or corn tortillas (to make wraps) and some foods that can be served to complete the dish or to snack on in a healthy way, such as dried fruit and nuts or wholegrain biscuits.
Finally, dressings are an essential complement to give flavour to your dishes. In a store cupboard, condiments such as olive oil, vinegar or soy sauce should be kept, which have a long shelf life; and spices of any type, such as salt and pepper.
Weekly menu
Below, we propose an example of a week of tuppers to take to work. All the options may be complemented with a dessert, preferably a ration of fresh fruit or a fermented dairy product (natural yoghurt or fresh cheese, for example.) Likewise, water is recommended as the main drink and on the other hand, soft drinks and other sugary drinks or that contain alcohol should be avoided.
Monday/ Gazpacho and baked chicken with potatoes
The gazpacho will be the portion of raw vegetables, in addition to a contribution of natural fats, thanks to the olive oil. The chicken will be the quality source of animal protein and the potatoes, the food that is rich in carbohydrates.
Tuesday/ Quinoa with broccoli, carrots and prawns
Quinoa is a pseudo-cereal rich in carbohydrates, although it also contains a significant part of vegetable protein. The cooked broccoli and carrots will be the vegetables in the dish and the prawns, the animal protein. This is a dish that is particularly low in calories.
Wednesday/ Pasta salad with tuna and hardboiled egg
The vegetable part can be made up of any type of green-leafed vegetable, such as lettuce, spinach, lambs lettuce, etc. in addition to tomato, carrot, cucumber and other raw vegetables to taste. The pasta will be the part that is rich in carbohydrates and therefore, the tuna and the hardboiled egg will be the sources of animal protein.
Thursday/
Beef curry with rice and green beans
Beef is a food with a high level in animal protein and rice is a cereal rich in carbohydrates. Along with this, the green beans, rich in antioxidants, will make up the portion of vegetables in the dish. In this case, the curry will bring together the different flavours.
Friday/
Spinach with chickpeas and cod
Chickpeas contain both carbohydrates and vegetable protein. Even so, the proteins with the best quality will be provided by the cod, which belongs to the group of white fish. Finally, the cooked spinach, full of minerals and vitamins, will be the main food in the dish.
How to optimise the EMERGENCY SERVICE
The triage room is essential in hospital emergency areas because it provides vital patient information about their condition and seriousness. Thanks to this screening system, the priority in the care for each person may be determined, avoiding the collapse of the unit and long waits.
by Ángela Zorrilla
Hospital emergency services are one of the indisputable pillars of the healthcare system in Spain. According to data from the Ministry of Health, the hospitals in the National Health System attend, approximately, 23,000 emergencies per month. Added to this figure are the consultations received in the private hospital centres, which are becoming increasingly more usual, and even in the patients’ homes. Another statistic: in 2021, 21 million hospital emergencies were attended according to the Healthcare Information System.
“Emergency care is an essential element of healthcare cover,” Tato Vázquez, Chairman of the Spanish Emergencies Medicine (SEMES) explained during the 72nd Assembly of the World Health Organisa-
tion. He added that, for many people, it also forms the first point of contact with the health system. Hospital emergency services (HES) treat the appearance of a health problem for different causes and with different degrees of seriousness and which, generally, require an immediate diagnosis and treatment. Currently, all these areas have highly qualified professionals to act in critical situations. In the emergency rooms, however, the influx of patients never stops
The
hospitals in the National Health System attend 23,000 emergencies every month
Emergency doctor, the new speciality
This summer, the Council of Ministers passed a royal decree by which a new speciality in emergency medicine was created. The aim of this four-year qualification is to adapt the training to the current and future reality of healthcare. Therefore, the “emergency doctor” must master a wide range of pathologies and know how to react, for example, with an emergency birth or a serious respiratory arrest.
This new medical speciality was one of the ones most requested in recent years by healthcare professionals and it is estimated that it will help to plan the healthcare resources, and also to handle the patients and the day to day work in the emergency areas.
and, as they are non-programmed consultations, it is vital to learn to prioritise using an effective and universal criteria. This is when the area of triage takes on essential importance, essential in the emergency areas. This is where the initial valuation of the clinical risk of patients is carried out and the level of urgency determined. Having this initial knowledge allows, in turn, people to assign the resources that are needed at this moment.
In order for these resources not to be wasted, it is also essential for citizens to use the services correctly. Many experts are demanding the promotion of healthcare education in the population which, amongst other aspects, helps to recognise the symptoms that require urgent intervention or know when it is better to visit other healthcare services first.
Screening in a critical situation
In recent decades an important increase in the triage systems has occurred; that is to say, the methods that help to evaluate the patients who are waiting
to be seen in the hospital emergency areas. In Spain, one of the most implanted systems is the SET (Structured Triage System) this is based on five levels of prioritisation and it is endowed with computing programme to help with the valid clinical decision for hospital emergency services, but also for telephone triage or in primary healthcare. It is a frequently-used model that is used to evaluate both adult patients and paediatric emergencies. On the other hand, the MTS, known as the Manchester Triage is also very normal in Spanish healthcare centres.
Both models are based on the urgency of the consultation and they are carried out by the nursing team which is backed up by the centre’s medical team. They are adapted methods to establish the visiting time or the admission rate and they help to decongest the entry to a hospital’s emergency department. All of this thanks to the implantation of clinical algorithms. That is to say, systems such as the Manchester triage improve the patient flow in the emergency department and allow the patients to be seen in terms of their seriousness and not by the order of arrival at the healthcare centre.
In particular, the Manchester triage is one of the best known screening methods and it is used in both European and health centres all over the world. It introduces the concept of symptomatic and discriminant category, in addition to a possible telephone screening. This internationally-used method is based on a classification by colour that indicates the seriousness of the patients and, therefore, establishing the priority of the attention. Five phases are established and each of them has a higher or lower risk associated to it. Also, this system, which has been modified over the years, identifies the maximum time that should pass until a doctor attends this patient.
Beyond these two common systems in the Spanish healthcare system, other models such as the Australasian Triage Scale (ATS), the Canadian Triage Action Scale (CTAS) or the Emergencies Seriousness Index (ESI) are also internationally recognised. And added to all these models, is the implantation, becoming increasingly more common, of artificial intelligence in the healthcare centres. Therefore, for example there are applications and programmes based on AI, such as Mediktor, which precisely, helps triage to be carried out in the Emergency Department.
A system of colours according to priority (Manchester triage)
Level 1
Immediate attention, without delay. Maximum time: 0 minutes.
Level 2
Very urgent with vital risk or very intense pain. Maximum time: 10 minutes.
Level 3
Urgent, but stable. Maximum time: 60 minutes.
Level 4
Normal, without any vital risk for the patient. Maximum time: 120 minutes.
Level 5
Not urgent, little complexity. Maximum time: 240 minutes.
Red Orange Yellow Green Blue
EYE HEALTH: A problem in everyone’s sight
The World Health Organisation estimates that at least 2,200 million people around the world suffer from some type of visual impairment, with myopia at the head of the list.
by María Pérez
Sight is our most dominant sense and it plays an essential role in our lives. However, bad habits, added to a lack of resources in less developed countries, have put eye health in the sights of the WHO, which has given out a horrifying fact: half of the cases of visual impairment around the world could have been prevented.
It is a public health crisis unknown by many, but with important repercussions and on a significant scale. If the current trend continues, the experts envisage that in 2050 half of the population will have blurry vision due to myopia. An “epidemic” that is attacking the youngest people in particular. In Spain, research directed by Miguel Ángel Sánchez and Cristina Álvarez, professors and researchers at the Department of Optometry and Sight at the Madrid Complutense University, predict that in 2030, 30% of children between the ages of five and seven years will be myopic.
Moreover, virtually all the people who reach adulthood suffer from some type of eye disease during their lifetimes. These ailments can be divided into two groups: those that cause visual impairment and those that affect the eye, but not our sight.
Advice for taking care of glasses
1. Keep them in their case when you are not using them.
2. Avoid holding the frame by the arms and putting your glasses face down.
3. Do not leave them close to a heat source.
4. Avoid putting them on your head or hanging from your T-shirt. The arms can become damages or the lenses can become scratched.
5. Wash them with water and neutral soap. A microfiber cloth is recommended to be used. Avoid the use of chemical products and hot water.
Amongst the traditional risk factors that increase the possibility of suffering from one or more of these diseases, age, genetics, smoking and a bad diet may all be found, amongst others.
However, overexposure to screens – an evil of modern times, has added a new unprecedented threat for our sight. This is due to the fact that human eyes are not designed to focus on screens as small and close as our mobile phone or tablet, since this overstrain decreases blinking significantly, causing itchy eyes, eye strain and an increase in refractive error. This disorder is known as Computer vision syndrome (CVS) and according to the Institut Català de Retina
it affects seven out of every ten people. To mitigate the effects of the screens, the experts recommend keeping the mobile phone or tablet at least 30 cm from us, in addition to reducing our use of these devices as much as possible, particularly in the case of children. We must also put the screen below the height of the eyes, avoid reflections, take care to be in an ergonomic position and look away every 20 minutes during 20 seconds, when we should consciously close our eyes.
In short, we must be proactive in our eye care and visit the ophthalmologist if any symptoms appear. It is very important to not skip periodic eye checkups, as the professionals will give us the guidelines to follow and will warn us if our vision has deteriorated or if there is any disorder that requires the use of glasses or an additional treatment.
Ophthalmologic guide
The main eye diseases that usually do not cause sight impairment
Blepharitis. Redness and irritation of the eyelids close to the base of the eyelashes.
Chalazions and sties. A common ailment of the eyelid that occurs as a result of the obstruction of a gland or a local infection.
Conjunctivitis. An inflammation of the conjunctiva (the membrane that is inside the eyelids), normally caused by allergy or infection.
Dry eye. It occurs when the eye does not produce enough tears to keep itself hydrated, causing irritation and blurry sight.
Eye diseases that cause sight impairment
Refractive error. Due to the shape and length of the eyeball, the light does not focus correctly on the retina, causing blurry sight. These are the two main refractive errors:
- Myopia. This is suffered by 2,600 million people around the world, of which 312 million are under the age of 19 years. This is the difficulty to see distant objects.
- Presbyopia. Suffered by 1,800 million people. It increases considerably after the age of 40.
Age-related macular degeneration. Damage in the part of the retina in charge of detailed sight that produce spots and shadows in the sight. The risk of suffering from this increases with age.
Cataracts.These are characterised by a cloudiness in the eye’s lens that results in general blurry sight.
Glaucoma. A progressive deterioration of the optic nerve that affects peripheral vision and gradually, the central sight.
What should we do if we get lost in the MOUNTAINS?
In Spain, every year over one thousand mountain rescue operations take place, particularly in regions such as Aragon and Catalonia, due to the constant flow of hikers and the conditions of the land. What should we do if we find ourselves in this situation, without any access to the emergency service?
STOP Method
Stay/Stop. Stop the moment you realise that you are lost. It is essential to remain calm and avoid panicking. Sit down and regulate your breathing until you feel calmer.
Think. Evaluate the situation: What was the last sign on the route that you recognised? How long have you been walking since then? Have you got enough food and water to cover your needs? What is the last sheltered place or safe area that you remember? Do you have mobile phone coverage, internet access or a map to hand?
Observe. Observe your surroundings and check the equipment you have with you. Look for reference points in the landscape that could help to orientate you, such as signs for nearby paths or routes and check the weather conditions.
Plan. Finally, plan how to proceed, taking into account the information you have gathered. The most important decision is deciding whether you will remain in this place or you will try to get back to a specific point. Remember: ration your resources and, if you move, leave signs along the way.
If your mobile telephone is inactive or there is no coverage for any network, there is an international alpine emergency sign. To use this, you can use an emergency whistle, make light signals or wave a jacket.
Cooperatives and social medicine
The ASISA Group invoiced 1,761 million euros in 2023 following a 4.9% growth
Lavinia S. Coop., the sole shareholder in ASISA, held its 48th assembly and reviewed centre points of the strategy for the next few years.
Lavinia S. Coop., the sole shareholder of ASISA, held its 48th general assembly in Valencia in which the company’s evolution and results were analysed and the centre points of its strategy for the next few years were reviewed. In the medium-term, the ASISA Group’s goal involves continuing to grow and developing its commercial capacity in all the areas of its activity, both as an insurer and as a healthcare provider. To do this, the company has promoted a transformation plan that will allow it to adapt its processes and incorporate new tools and management models.
The assembly, held under the slogan “Inspiring change, assuring tomorrow,” reviewed the main points of the ASISA Group’s activity during the last year, marked by the impact of inflation and the virtual freezing of the premiums of the public mutual societies.
Within this setting, the ASISA Group closed the year 2023 with a consolidated invoicing of 1,761 million euros; 4.9% more than in 2022. Along these lines, the Chairman of the ASISA Group, Dr. Francisco Ivorra, emphasised “In order to continue guaranteeing our future and looking
after those who place their trust in us, we must continue transforming and adapting ourselves.”
A year of commitment to innovation
In 2024, ASISA opened the new installations of the HLA Hospital Universitario Moncloa, which this year celebrates its 30th anniversary and of the HLS Centro Médico Cáceres. And this year the opening of the new medical centre HLA Vistahermosa in Alicante is also planned.
In the same way, the plans to incorporate stateof-the-art technology to all the centres, allowing the most advanced diagnosis and treatment techniques to be developed, including robotic surgery, already available in several hospitals of the HLA Group will be maintained. Additionally, the ASISA Group is maintaining its commitment to developing specialised clinics in different care areas (dentistry, ophthalmology, assisted reproduction, audiology, comprehensive healthcare, etc.)
International presence
Finally, the assembly of Lavinia S. Coop. also analysed the evolution of the internationalisation of the ASISA Group, which maintains its presence in Portugal, where it operates on the insurance market; Italy, where it has a dental clinic and it markets dental insurance; Switzerland, where it operates Analiza; Latin America, where it develops different activities in Brazil, Mexico, Nicaragua and Chile, where it operates in the area of healthcare technology; in addition to the Near East, where it has promoted the first international dental network in the Arab Emirates, with two clinics, one in Dubai and another in Abu Dhabi.
The ASISA Vida insurance policies continue to be the most competitive on the market for the fourth year running
The Comparativestudyofliferisk insurancepremiums2023, prepared by Inese and Global Actuarial, compared the products from 18 insurance companies and 7 from insurance banks in different settings. The results are clear: ASISA Vida has been, since 2019, one of the most competitive life-risk insurance companies in Spain.
According to the study, ASISA Vida offers the best average premium for the different ages and capitals studied with coverage for death and absolute and permanent
disability. Amongst other advantages, the savings with respect to the average price of their competitors exceeds 130 euros per year. Additionally, the premiums for ASISA Vida Tranquilidad are particularly advantageous for clients aged 50 years.
The General Manager of ASISA Vida, Francisco Martínez Aguilar, affirms that “ASISA Vida has taken on the commitment of offering its clients products that bring them high value, which cover their needs and with a price that is as reasonable as possible.”
Promotional image of the ASISA Vida products.
The economic-financial manager of ASISA, Laura García Calle, presents the company’s results. At the table, from left to right, Mariano Caballero, Secretary General of ASISA; Dr. Javier Gómez-Ferrer, director of Lavinia-ASISA and delegate in Valencia; Dr. Antonio Solvas, secretary of Lavinia-ASISA and delegate in Barcelona; Dr. Francisco Ivorra, Chairman of ASISA; Dr. Enrique de Porres, CEO of ASISA; and Dr. Gregorio Mediana, vice-chairman of Lavinia-ASISA and delegate in Seville.
Sports Medicine Unit in the HLA Universitario Moncloa
The hospital is launching a new unit formed by a multidisciplinary team of specialists in cardiology and rehabilitation, physiotherapists and nutritionists.
The HLS Universitario Moncloa Hospital has started up a new unit of sports medicine for those patients who want to start doing a sport or who carry out physical exercise regularly, as well as professional athletes, without any restrictions regarding age or physical condition.
The opening of this new unit is framed within the hospital’s growth and modernisation plan, centred on the acquisition of new equipment and state-of-the-art technology. The new Sports Medicine Unit has been established with the aim of offering comprehensive care in all the aspects related to the health of patients who carry out physical exercise or any type of sporting discipline.
“This comprehensive approach allows us to tackle the pathologies of those who carry out physical exercise from diagnosis to treatment, in addition to performing evaluation tasks and personalised plans for the prevention of injuries and improvement in performance, based on biomechanical studies and nutritional aspects,” Dr. Carlos Zarco, Medical Director of the HLA Universitario Moncloa Hospital explains.
Through a multidisciplinary team of specialists in cardiology and rehabilitation, physiotherapists and nutritionists, the new unit offers a complete response and contributes to the development of the maximum performance of those who do any type of sporting activity.
Recently, the new unit at the HLS Universitario Moncloa Hospital carried out the medical check-ups for the group of runners from the Corre programme with ASISA, who are training to run the Lisbon Marathon 2024.
ASISA includes a new social care service on its Medical Chat
ASISA has included access to a social worker on its Medical Chat application, who will be able to orientate, carry out an analysis of the socio-familiar situation and offer recommendations and options to help maintaining the well-being of those insured by the company in situations that might occur, such as a diagnosis, a situation of incapacity or dependence, whether temporary or permanent, or any actions linked to a hospital admission or convalescence.
The insured parties may access this professional directly through the application, without needing a prior
appointment and with a response time of less than two minutes.
With this new service, ASISA is the first health insurance company that includes social care for its insurance policy holders on its remote medicine platform, ASISA LIVE. Initially, the service will be available for individual policy holders, and progressively, it will be extended to more groups of customers. In this way, the company is moving forward in its commitment to accompany clients and help them look after their health and that of their families when they most need it.
A new campaign centred on the importance of taking care of your body
ASISA has launched a new advertising campaign centred on the importance of taking care of our body to guarantee health and wellbeing. ASISA’s aim is to promote prevention and emphasise the importance of paying attention to our health. All of this, through the ‘Irreplaceable’ campaign.
“We are living in times of fast, excessive consumerism, in a world where everything seems to be disposable and in which the concept of use once and throw away has become very important. However, we must remember that the most important thing we have, our body, is the only thing that we cannot replace,” Carlos Eiroa, Brand, Advertising and Sponsorship Manager at ASISA explains.
This campaign is framed within the “Mejor así. ASISA” (Better like this. ASISA) concept that the company started up in 2022 aimed at demonstrating, with a positive and optimistic tone, its capacity to look after its policy holders’ demands and needs.
ASISA strengthens is health insurance offer for foreigners in Spain
ASISA has strengthened its health insurance offer aimed at foreigners with the launch of ASISA Newcomers Protection, a product line designed specifically to take care of the needs of this client segment. The two first insurance policies included in ASISA Newcomers Protection are ASISA Health Students and ASISA Health Residents.
These insurance policies have been specifically designed to cover the needs of foreign students and residents in Spain, guaranteeing the fulfilment of the legal requirements for obtaining visas and residency permits, particularly for those coming from the United Kingdom, with an offer adapted to their language.
The new Sports Medicine Unit has taken part in the Corre programme with ASISA.
Image from the advertising campaign Irreplaceable, by ASISA
Cooperatives and social medicine
Assistència Sanitària hands out its grants for healthcare professionals
During the 2023-2024 academic year 330 applications have been received, which have been turned into aid for a value of 31,045 euros.
Assistència Sanitària and its grant programme for healthcare professionals has renewed, for the sixteenth year running, its commitment to training in the healthcare area. In the academic year 2023-2024, they received 330 applications which, after the selection process, were turned into aid for a value of 31,045 euros to 33 students of masters or postgraduate studies in the healthcare area.
As Dr. Ignacio Orce, Chairman of Assistència Sanitària underscored at the diploma ceremony, “The present is a moment with great opportunities for healthcare workers, exceptional professionals who, in spite of the lamentable situation of public health-
care, with their work and continuous demands will know how to resolve society’s health problems, doing this better every day.”
The balance of these sixteen editions of the grant programme shows data of an important magnitude: 4,300 applications have been received; 500 grants have been handed out and around 467,000 euros have been awarded. With this initiative, acknowledged by the medical and university community, Assistència Sanitària wants to guarantee the optimum preparation of doctors, nursing staff and people who look after citizens’ health, who with their professional practice make quality healthcare possible.
Assistència Sanitària and SCIAS take stock of their 2023 activity
In a decisive year for the healthcare area, having overcome the challenges set forth by the COVID-19 pandemic and the starting point for configuring the strategies for the future, the corporate reports for 2023 provide a global vision of the Assistència Group, including data about the activity, goals reached and innovative initiatives, amongst other relevant information. Additionally, the reports are also a strategic document where the organisation’s basic lines are drawn up. In short, they are the best and most faithful reflection of its unique reality.
AssilaHB is up and running, the new clinical laboratory at the Hospital de Barcelona
Along the line of continuous improvement offered by the Assistència Group, a new project has been started up that places it at the forefront of diagnosis. AssislaHB, the new clinical laboratory at the Hospital de Barcelona is up and running to put a top resource at the service of the insured population and the doctors belonging to Assistència Sanitària, which will improve the diagnosis options with a constant interaction amongst the healthcare professionals.
From the 1st of October, all the clinical analyses of people insured by Assistència Sanitària will be managed and processed by AssislaHB, which receives the samples from the different authorised extraction points,
In a careful edition, with background articles on different aspects – such as the most outstanding figures relative to the services provided or the distinctions received in quality indicators, and versions in Catalan and Spanish, Assistència and SCIAS jointly publish these compendiums of the institution’s activity. Available in the section on publications on their respective websites, the reports show the commitment to transparency and the environment and they provide relevant information.
all over the province of Barcelona.
Therefore, with the convergence in a single laboratory belonging to the insurance company, it is possible to standardise criteria to ensure that the results are comparable in time and so, offer better orientation for the diagnosis, along with personalised treatment.
The new laboratory has been equipped with the latest technology in equipment and information systems and high capacity and efficiency automation. It is formed by medical staff and technicians who practice precision, personalised medicine, centred on the patient and their doctor, in excellent quality and safety conditions.
The thirty-three scholarship students are studying for master’s or postgraduate degrees in the field of health.
New campaign by Assistència Sanitària: “Real medicine in a digital world”
The insurance company continues opting for its commitment to the direct interaction between doctors and patients without giving up the advances and the advantages of the new digital era.
Assistència Sanitària is launching a television commercial and an advertising campaign with a new slogan and concept which, in full digital era, continues opting for personal contact, true to what defines medicine: people who take care of other people. And it does this without giving up the advances and advantages of the transformation associated to the new technologies. All of this, to continue offering quality, competitive services at present and in the near future.
Assistència Sanitària defines itself as “The doctors’ organisation” because it is an organisation founded, managed, directed and recommended by healthcare professionals. This model allows it to guarantee a quality, human medical care, always putting the professionals at the centre of the organisation. This is translated into a healthcare experience that combines the best of technology with the irreplaceable value of personal contact.
The new outpatient magnetic resonance service at the Hospital de Barcelona has been consolidated
The Hospital de Barcelona carries out diagnosis magnetic resonance tests for Assistència Sanitària insurance policy holders who have not been admitted to the hospital, extending the organisation’s network of diagnosis by image points. The good results of the pilot scheme carried out in recent months have allowed the new magnetic resonance circuit at the Hospital de Barcelona to be consolidated, which
optimizes the use of its technology and the knowledge of its professionals. With this step, the Assistència Sanitària policy holders can access the service in an outpatient area to carry out the indicated diagnosis tests.
In order to maintain the quality and safety standard that characterize the Hospital de Barcelona, protocols and renewed circuits have been established in accordance with this provision of services, simplifying the procedures for the medical professionals and above all, for the patients, who can see Assistència Sanitària’s diagnosis points have been extended.
New nutrition and nutritional coaching service from the Assistència Group
The medical centre of the Assistència Group, located in the centre of Barcelona (Provença, 282), since September has incorporated a new service of nutrition and nutritional coaching open to all citizens and with special discounts for Assistència Sanitària’s policy holders.
Aimed at preventing or treating diseases of people who need it by medical prescription, a consulting room has been started up that allows a change in lifestyle to be made starting out from a comprehensive and personalised approach. It is the best option, with a centre with the organisation’s quality standards and with fully trained specialists, for transforming the diet and starting to live in a healthier way.
Since 2008, the team that forms this new service has been a pioneer in the integration of coaching as a complement to nutrition, offering a personalised method, based on scientific rigour. This approach helps patients reach their goals in a realistic and motivating way.
Amongst the services offered, the clinical and nutritional evaluation, the study of corporal composition and energy expenditure, the creation of nutritional education programmes and personalised plans of action and above all, the expert accompaniment and monitoring of results all stand out.
Cooperatives and social medicine
Carlos Zarco, Director of the Fundación Espriu
“Healthcare cooperatives are essential for reaching global access
to healthcare”
Healthcare cooperativism allows healthcare to be organised that respects the rights of the patients and of the healthcare professionals. Its success is based on the close collaboration between both groups as a sustainable social value. For the Fundación Espriu, healthcare services are a basic right because society needs healthcare to be a quality service.
A graduate in Medicine from the Madrid Universidad Complutense, he has held the position of head of several different services in the Emergency Department. 16 years ago, he was appointed as Coordinator of quality and the environment at the HLA Hospital Universitario Moncloa, a position to which he added others such as Admissions Coordinator, Assistant Doctor and subsequently, Medical Director. In all these years, he has carried out postgraduate studies and written many publications and speeches on subjects such as management and quality of hospital centres. Currently, he is the Director of the Fundación Espriu and Chairman of the International Healthcare (IHCO). CooperatOrganisation (IHCO).
Last July they fired the starting gun for the next edition of the International Year of Cooperatives. What were the messages that were launched during the presentation event?
This preliminary launch was organised by the United Nations Committee for the Promotion and Advance of Cooperatives (COPAC), in collaboration with the Permanent Missions of Mongolia and Kenya. The official launch will be held during the World Cooperative Conference of the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA), programmed for November, in New Delhi, India.
At the opening session, we emphasised that this cooperative model itself means an economic transformation, from top to bottom, which has put cooperatives as one of the foundation pillars to promote economic transformation and reach our sustainable development goal. The Chairman of the ICA presented the slogan of the International Year of Cooperatives, “Cooperatives are building a better world.”
What responsibilities are you taking on when reaching the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)? Cooperatives are very important when achieving the SDGs on the 2030 agenda, as they are companies based on values that are building a better world. Thanks to their ideas, such as democracy and solidarity, and to their principles of inter-cooperation and concern about the community, they are well-positioned to reach these goals.
What are the future challenges?
The future of cooperatives will be unavoidably determined by the technological advances, the economic conditions or the social changes. Their capacity for innovation and adaptation to the new requirements is an instrument to take democracy, equality and sustainability to the workplace.
Innovation, sustainability, access to healthcare or to education… Without cooperatives is it possible to achieve this world?
According to data from the ICA and from B20, around 100 million households around the world have access to healthcare thanks to cooperatives. The presence of this business model has been confirmed in the healthcare systems of 76 countries, recording over 3,300 healthcare cooperatives with a global invoicing of 15,000 million dollars.
Amongst these figures are organisations of different origins and structures, but all of them share a common goal: to bring healthcare professionals and users closer
together to conciliate the imbalances between healthcare offer and demand.
Healthcare cooperatives have shown their enormous capacity for adapting to new socio-economic contexts and highly different healthcare systems. This flexibility is due, to a large extent, to the fact that its governing model concentrates on the search for solutions to the needs of the people and of the society as a whole.
What is needed for the role of cooperatives to become better known?
Without any doubt, increasing its visibility. Events such as the International Year of Cooperatives are a loudspeaker to show that on a worldwide scale, they play a crucial role in the economy. According to data from the International Cooperative Alliance, over one thousand million people are linked to cooperatives, generating over 250 million jobs all over the world, in sectors as different as health, farming insurance or banking.
The celebrations of the International Year of Cooperatives have started with a preliminary launching event, held on the 9th of July at the headquarters of the UN in New York.
Within this context, which are the main values of the Fundación Espriu?
Promoting and developing healthcare cooperativism. We carry this activity out through activities such as the publication of the magazine Compartir; the organisation of events, the advisory and collaboration with organisations linked to the social economy and to healthcare cooperativism. The organisations that make up the Fundación Espriu are non-profit making. In addition, the excess that may be generated are used for reinvestment, and all the interested parties taking part in the management involving all the agents in a supportive way. Finally, they are private organizations, but with an open nature and fully disposed to collaborate with the public health systems.
What main lines of action have been developed most in recent years?
Our goals are to promote, research and publicise cooperative management of healthcare, through the cooperative formula of organisation and self-management. This is based on a relationship of trust and proximity been doctors and patients. The healthcare professionals and the users of the services take part in the co-management of organisations centred on healthcare cooperativism. Additionally, the foundation promotes top quality healthcare, where the professionals can work with complete freedom.
Thanks to the co-management, the healthcare institutions belonging to the Fundación Espriu have obtained a management model in which a non-profit making organisation allows the financial revenue to be turned into social healthcare value through the reinvestment in new technologies, equipment and improvements in the installations.
How do you imagine the Fundación Espriu in 20 years’ time?
In an uncertain, vulnerable, complex and ambiguous setting it is difficult to have a clear idea of what it would be like, but I believe that it will continue innovating without destroying and it will incorporate new methodologies that help us to be prepared.
What do you value most from your work?
Without any doubt, the possibility of making the cooperative healthcare model grow and of inter-cooperating with the different health cooperatives. I was elected Chairman of the International Healthcare Cooperatives Organisation six years ago, and from that moment, we have been working to achieve that the member cooperatives have reached the historic record and that we are present on the five continents. I am convinced that we are essential for reaching access to healthcare on the entire planet.
The healthcare sector seen through THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY
Moving to a model based on reduction, reuse and recycling is essential to guarantee the survival of our planet. Even so, the full application of this way of understanding the economy means a real challenge for a sector such as healthcare.
by Enric Ros
There was a time when it seemed that there no limit to production and consumption. Fortunately, the economic model based on the old adage that affirms that “more is always more” is now history. The challenges that climate change has imposed and the wishes for transformation by a population that is increasingly committed to protecting our planet is encouraging the move from a linear economy (based on produce-consume-dispose) to a circular economy (with criteria such as sharing, renting, reusing, repairing and renewing.)
Back in 2020, the new European Union Circular Economy Plan of Action was published and the Spanish Circular Economy Strategy ‘España Circular 20230’ was passed by the Council of Ministers. The essential goals of these initiatives can be summarised in three essential ideas: we need the products, materials and resources to be maintained in the economy for as long as possible, for the generation of waste to be reduced as much as possible and the waste that is unavoidable to be correctly used.
steps very quickly, is that in 2050 this will increase by over 50%, until reaching 3,800 million tonnes per year.
As is explained on the World Economic Forum’s website (WEF), this “is bad news for the Earth, because the waste contributes to the triple planetary crisis of climate change, loss of biodiversity and contamination.”
“Medical care today means 5% of the world greenhouse effect gas emissions”
But this, without any doubt, is not easy, as it demands a series of deep-rooted changes that particularly affect the sectors considered to be strategic, such as consumer goods, automotive industry, infrastructures, logistic and transport or tourism and public services.
The forecasts for 2050
The waste that is produced in the households and companies continues to rise. Every year around the world over 2,000 million tonnes of solid urban waste are generated. The forecast, if we don’t take
Fortunately, we are still in time to react. According to the WEF, if the entire world makes a categorical commitment towards an approach based on the circular economy, in 2050, the abovementioned volume of waste could be reduced by up to 2,500 million. Additionally, in the long-term, this new model would allow the costs of waste management to be decreased compared to the current procedures.
The impact of healthcare on the planet
The healthcare area is, as explained by Rubén Aller, a consultant specialising in circular economy in healthcare, one of the areas that must face up to the most important challenges. As is known, the correct working of a hospital for a long time has involved high energy consumption, as well as a considerable carbon footprint. “In fact, even now, medical care causes 5% of the world greenhouse effect gas emissions. If the healthcare sector were to be considered as a country, it would be the fifth largest emitter of the planet,” Aller explains. This means drastic steps must be taken that allow quality healthcare to be guaranteed, while reducing the impact on the environment as much as possible. As Aller affirms: “We have to act and we must do it now.”
Keys for building a sustainable
HEALTH SYSTEM
The circular economy proposals linked to the healthcare area must propose a circular view that covers from the use of eco-designed products to the establishment of responsible protocols with the environment that cover the entire value chain.
A holistic, restoring and regenerative model. This is how the agronomist Mauricio Espaliat defines the circular economy in an interesting academic essay that analyses its application to the healthcare sector. Obviously, healthcare must be committed to this necessary transformation for many reasons, amongst them because, as is obvious, the health of the patients also depends on the actual “health” of the ecosystem that they live in.
Espaliat indicates four critical areas where sustainability is a key factor: natural resources and raw materials, water, energy and waste. The healthcare systems have different strategies to meet their goals that can establish interesting synergies, such as eco-design, servitisaton (the offer of services linked to a specific product), recovery and revalorisation, the collaborative symbiosis between areas or companies and the new responsible purchasing and renting models.
Decalogue for “circular” healthcare
In the magazine Compartir we have talked to Rubén Aller about the fundamental elements to guarantee a successful transition towards this new paradigm. Below, we summarise some essential points indicated by this prestigious consultant:
1 Above all, it is very important for the executives and the management of the healthcare systems to be fully aware and involved in the change. A global vision must be opted for, which affects the entire cycle of activity.
2 The circular economy cannot be applied suddenly, but it must be brought in progressively. It is better to fragment the processes, starting with
the elements where we can have a positive impact quickest.
3 The main goal is to not generate any waste, from the design of any healthcare product or protocol until the process has ended.
4 We must opt for eco-designed products, easy to repair and up-date, conceived for extending their service life. When we no longer want to continue using them, we must be able to give them a second life, working alongside the manufacturers.
5 Optimisation of the resources must be sought, for example, ensuring that a hospital can share equipment with a primary healthcare area.
6 The commitment to the circular economy does not end in the healthcare system itself, but rather its fulfilment must be extended to the suppliers. Particular attention must be paid to what they supply us to ensure that they truly meet their goals and do not opt for green washing.
7 Artificial intelligence and big data can help us to discover how we can improve and where it is worth acting in a more categorical way.
Natural resources and raw materials, water, energy and waste are all areas where sustainability is a key factor.
8
We must find new solutions for the different problems that arise. For example, in the area of waste, we could opt for products that are not limited to a single use, or for sterilisation. It must be taken into account that some plastic materials can be toxic for the health of the patients; therefore a good step will always be the control of their use and the way in which they are disposed.
9 Interest in sustainability must be extended to all areas, beyond care in hospitals and medical centres, covering, for example, ambulance transport.
10 A good circular economy plan must be capable of reconciling the fight against carbon footprint and in favour of sustainability with the maintenance of quality in patient care.
Climatic footprint of the healthcare sector on a global scale divided according to the categories of scope of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHGP):
Range 1: 17%
Operational emissions from the healthcare and transport sector.
Range 2: 12%
Distribution of electricity, gas, heating or cooling.
Range 3: 71%
Transport, farming, pharmaceutical and chemical products, waste treatment, other sectors and services, rubber and plastic products and electronic equipment.
Source: Report “Climatic footprint of the healthcare sector. How the healthcare sector contributes to the global climate crisis: opportunities for action,’ 2019.
A state-of-the-art HOSPITAL
The Assistència Group is an example of the healthcare sector’s willingness to contribute to environmental protection. Amongst the main steps taken recently, the new solar panel installation on the Hospital de Barcelona stands out.
Some healthcare centres are already taking on different transformation processes to face up to the challenges we will have in the near future on the subject of sustainability and circular economy. An example of this can be found at the Hospital de Barcelona, which, amongst other steps, has recently completed the installation and start up of a series of solar panels on the roof of its emblematic building on the Avenida Diagonal.
As explained by Álvaro Buenvarón, Engineering and General Services Manager at the hospital, “this step forms part of the organisation’s social commitment to reduce electricity consumption and to produce as much clean energy as possible.” Logically, the equipment of this healthcare centre produces an important consumption. At the same time, the architectonic structure, with little surface area on the upper part and the shadow of the adjacent buildings made the optimisation of a photovoltaic installation difficult.
However, the 290 full black panels, in addition to the eight optimisers and an inverter installed, have obtained a higher energy efficiency than was considered at first, in addition to providing an elegant integrated aesthetic appearance.
The energy audits carried out have been used to analyse where there are opportunities to reduce consumption. From this point onwards, the hospital has opted for working with an energy company to make them into a reality. As Buenvarón indicates, “we wanted to provide our grain of sand through an important project, which condenses our willingness to take on a transition towards the use of cleaner, renewable energy sources.”
Two hundred and ninety ‘full black’ panels, eight optimisers and an inverter are the elements that have achieved the Hospital de Barcelona’s current energy efficiency.
Objective: reducing the carbon footprint
At the end of last year, the Hospital de Barcelona once again passed the audit successfully to renew its energy classification. In this exhaustive review different aspects were tackled, such as cooling, heating, hot water or lighting in the different spaces. The hospital obtained a score of C (on a qualification scale that ranges from A to G), with a better score than the previous year.
The organisation is already working on other steps to move forward on this aspect. In addition to improving its waste management processes day by day, they have also proposed lengthening the average service life of their equipment, giving them new jobs, when necessary.
This is not all. As Álvaro Buenvarón, Engineering and General Services Manager at the hospital explained, currently they area planning ways of reusing the water (for example, reusing the condensation water from the air conditioning and other equipment, catching it with nets; or establishing strategies to take advantage of rain water.)
As confirmed by the 2023 corporate report, some steps already carried out – such as the refusal to water the gardens with mains water during the drought, the implementation of flow regulation systems in the taps or the change to a type of soap that needs less water for washing clothing, having allowed them to save around 6.5 million litres of water.
In search of energy EFFICIENCY
The ASISA Group has developed different initiatives in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, ranging from the use of clean energies to the reuse and donation of their equipment.
Increasingly more companies and organisations in the healthcare sector consider the subjects related to energy efficiency and commitment to the planet as crucial questions in their executive plans. This is the case of the ASISA Group, which – as explained by their Assistant Sustainability Manager, Lorena Tirados has opted for tackling the guarantee of the consumption and sustainable production as one of the company’s main goals.
“For us,” Tirados explains, “sustainability is a truly structuring element, because it generates an obvious impact on people’s health. It also helps to
create synergies, even within the company itself and can become an important driver in all the areas.”
At present, they have achieved “100% of the ASISA hospital network uses renewable energy sources. In addition, we have solar panels on 14 healthcare centres and we have recently carried out an exhaustive monitoring project of water and gas consumption and the working of the boilers, to detect deficiencies and to introduce elements of energy improvement, such as the replacement by geothermal heating systems.” The implementation of several
The HLA Internacional Barcelona Clinic is a benchmark in urban sustainability. Its design and construction were conceived to take advantage of the natural resources, therefore minimising the impact of its activity on the environment.
new steps last year allowed them to reduce their CO2 eq to the atmosphere by 4,436 tonnes and they managed a 4.9% increase in the use of electricity from renewable sources.
Likewise, they have a well-structured waste management plan that goes beyond the present year and that seeks to lengthen the service life of all the products that they have to acquire. At present, they have managed to reduce non-hazardous waste by 36%; hazardous waste by 31% and healthcare waste by 12%. They have also managed to decrease their water consumption by 2.1%, including the dental clinic network. They are also working to reuse the waste as raw material or to convert it into forms of energy such as biodiesel (as they do with the cooking oil or biodegradable cardboard.)
A comprehensive view of sustainability ASISA’s circular economy plan covers different ideas, such as reuse and recycling. In Tirados' words, “we give great importance to the responsibility throughout the supply chain. In such a way that we ask our suppliers to take charge of ensuring a second life for the machinery that we no longer need, or we ourselves take charge of recycling it. We even try to rehome the furnishings, donating them, for example, to non-profit making associations.”
They are also promoting the electrification of their vehicles and the use of more environmentally-friendly travel means, such as trains, for employee travel.
“Our plan,” Tirados explains, “is to be carbon neutral in range 1 and 2 for 2025.” And she adds “Our commitment to sustainability includes a long-term outlook. We are a company with over half a century of history; therefore we are used to planning actions that we will bring into being in the years to come.”
For this reason, they have not hesitated to start up initiatives on different fronts, such as for example, the construction of more efficient buildings, the control of fossil fuels, the implantation of more efficient cooling systems and insulation, the investment in technological tools, the reuse and donation of medical technology, furnishings or computing equipment, the digital transformation (to reduce paper consumption), the substitution of single-use plastic or the incorporation of led lighting in their many installations.
HALLOWEEN: the night of the spirits
From the bonfires of Ireland to tours around the darkest part of Edinburgh or the impressive “bloody” parades in Manhattan; this is how Halloween is celebrated in different parts of the world.
by Júlia Martí
FThe Celts believed that on the night of the 31st of October the door was opened to the world of the dead
or one night, the door that communicates the world of the dead to the world of the living was opened, it was possible to contact the spirits and the magic of the druids was more powerful than ever. This occurred on the night of the 31st of October, when the end of the harvest was celebrated, along with the beginning of the darkest months that arrived with the autumn solstice. The festival of Samhain, which goes back over three thousand years, is the origin of today’s Halloween (“All Hallows Eve”), which is celebrated around half of the planet; we will look at some of the most spectacular celebrations.
Ireland and the legacy of Dracula
In Ireland, the birthplace of the tradition, fire is the starring element, particularly in the rural villages, where friends and neighbours gather together around hundreds of bonfires. In Dublin, the Bram Stoker Festival stands out, an event centred on the creator of Dracula. It is held between the 28th and the 31st of October and includes thematic parties, spiritual sessions
and concerts, in addition to a sinister Victorian theme park for the entire family. The gastronomic specialities linked to the festival are lambswool, a drink made from baked apples and beer and barmbrack, a dessert with objects hidden in its interior that predict the future of those who find them, such as a ring (marriage) or a piece of fabric (bad news).
Mysterious Edinburgh
In the neighbouring country of Scotland, there are many parades that allude to Samhain and to the ancient Celtic traditions. There are many fortune-teller stands, where the future is told and instead of carved pumpkins with candles inside them, the Scottish use turnips, as laid down by the tradition. In the always mysterious Edinburgh many phantasmagorical tours are organised that end in cemeteries and underground tombs.
New York’s Village Halloween Parade
New York is the setting for the largest Halloween fancy dress parade in the world, which brings to-
gether over 50,000 people on Sixth Avenue in the maddest moment of the city, with outfits that are always impressive. Christened as New York’s Village Halloween Parade, it has been held since 1973 and is open to everyone. The Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade is more curious, with dogs as its protagonists competing for the prize for the best costume. Those who prefer can sign up for a tour around the most ghost-haunted sites in Greenwich Village.
Massachusetts and witch hunts
Salem (Massachusetts), a town marked by its sinister history of trials, witch burnings and many legends of haunted buildings, brings thousands of visitors with its Festival of the Dead. The busy celebrations last over more than two weeks and include tours around the sites of the bloody local history and a wide proposal of tarot readings or spiritualism.
Candles, flowers and skulls in Mexico
In Mexico, although the night of the 31st is the time of fancy dress costumes, they really celebrate ‘el Día de los Muertos’ (Day of the Dead in Spanish) on the 1st and 2nd of November. The origins of this festival, declared an Intangible Cultural World Heritage Festival by the UNESCO, dates back to Pre-Columbian times and was presided over by the goddess Mictecacíhuatl, christened as the Lady of Death.
During these days, it is believed that the souls of the dead return from the afterlife to meet up with the living; therefore they honour them with eye-catching altars, profusely decorated with flowers, candles, incense, food and images of the deceased. Mexico City, Oaxaca and Michoacán are some of the points where the most spectacular celebrations take place which, in addition to parades, thematic tours and competitions, include huge offerings, monumental altars that are displayed in the educational and cultural centres and the most vibrant parades.
Halloween in Edinburgh (left image), New York (right) and Mexico (below).
YOSHITOMO NARA and the art that imitates life
The first important European exhibition dedicated to this Japanese icon of contemporary art covers the last four decades of his work and has been expressly conceived for the space in the Bilbao Guggenheim Museum.
by Salomé Lagares
Scan the QR to access a virtual visit to the exhibition on the website of the Bilbao Guggenheim Museum:
When Yoshitomo Nara was born in Hirosaki in 1959, he arrived in a universe that was about to radically change. As occurred in many western countries in the sixties and seventies, the Japan in which Nara grow up, experienced an important economic boom, an awakening of progressive awareness and social change, increasingly influenced by the Anglo-Saxon powers, a growing interest in global pop culture, along with the development of its own. In spite of the fact that the spirit of the era fomented opening, interconnection and the forging of communities, Nara’s childhood was marked by a great feeling of isolation. For him, culture and art, particularly folk and blues music imported from the United States, England and Ireland were not symbolic representations of the world, but rather true portals towards it. Therefore, his first and most impacting impressions of reality were mediated by the exalted emotionality of these forms, for their introspection, melancholy and often dissidence; feelings that were intensified by a lack of understanding of the language and the need to interpret them exclusively from his sensorial sensitivity.
Later on, after graduating at the University of Arts in the Aichi prefecture, these formative emotions would transport Nara’s work in his youth, and they would never leave it. After visiting Europe a few times in the nineteen eighties, which helped him to become familiar with and feed on its pictorial tradition and its avante garde currents, the artist decided to move to Germany, where the feeling of isolation returned due to his ignorance of the language. Music then arose as a great source of inspiration, this time through the irreverent attitude of punk and new wave. These were the background for his famous figures: characters with exaggerated features, emotive and widely recognisable that distilled his most intimate
Nara’s style, instantly recognisable due to his almost caricaturistic nuances, takes inspiration from pop culture, particularly music and it distils nostalgia and melancholy, along with sharpness and irreverence.
visions and instincts and that turned him into one of the main examples of contemporary art (Japanese and in general), respected by critics and adored by the public. In his almost caricaturistic style, his almost infantile imagination is permeated by an aura of inescapable nostalgia, but also a sharp character, both pillars of his work, moulded during his journey through different life experiences and events such as the series of disasters that devastated Japan in 2011, which consolidated his commitment to activism and community projects.
Now, the Bilbao Guggenheim Museum has curated Nara’s first important European retrospective show: an exhibition conceived expressly for this space that covers the last 40 years of the artist’s work, from 1984 to the present day. Organised thematically according to Nara’s own criteria, the journey invites visitors to delve into his creative process, exploring the links between his inner feelings, his inspirations and his pieces. This structure also allows the recurrent symbology and the leitmotivs that Nara has incorporated to his work over the decades to be appreciated (elements such as the red-roofed house, the box or the puddle) and to observe his evolution as a plastic artist through paintings, sculptures and drawings as famous as Sleepless Night (Sitting), which portrays a child dressed as a dog sitting on a stool, or Too Young to Die, where a little girl appears smoking a cigarette with a challenging grimace on her face.
The exhibition may be visited in Bilbao until the 3rd of November and it will then be moved to the Frieder Burda Museum in Baden-Baden (Germany) and to the Hayward Gallery in London. But if you don’t have the opportunity to visit the show in person, you can enjoy it virtually through the Guggenheim Museum’s website.
THE AMERICAS CUP: a spectacle of wind, salt and speed
The oldest sporting competition in the world arrives at the Catalan capital city to offer a spectacle that has charmed lovers of the sea and speed from all over the world.
by Joan Miquel Mas Salom
In 1851, the Royal Yacht Squadron, at the request of Queen Victoria, challenged the New York Yacht Club to a regatta. The yacht ‘America’ reached such a speed that, on its arrival at the finishing line, it was impossible to distinguish any of its fourteen competitors by the naked eye. After this first competition, there have been 37 editions over its 173 years of history; 25 of them marked by the complete dominion of the New York Yacht Club, between 1851 and 1983.
For each edition the protocol is always the same: a nautical club challenges the one that at that moment holds the title and, once the challenge has been accepted, all the clubs around the world who want to take part, join them. This year it is the INEOS Britannia who have challenged the Emirates Team New Zealand and, as tradition demands, the defenders have chosen both the yacht model (AC75 catamarans, which they used in the previous edition) and the location where the competition will take place.
Its port infrastructure, its capacity to accommodate international events and its attraction for tourists have made Barcelona the preferred place for it to be held. Additionally, an important investment of public money, along with some expectations of return that seem to point towards it being an event that will mark the future of the city, as occurred with the 1992 Olympic Games.
An international following
The Louis Vuitton Cup is the group phase in which the challenging clubs face each other to reach the grand final and challenge the team that holds the title, the Emirates New Zealand (between the 12th and the 21st of October). Over
The final of the Americas Cup will be held between the 12th and the 21st of October and it will bring together the winner of the Louis Vuitton Cup and the current defender of the title, the Emirates Team New Zealand.
the months of August and September a first phase of groups and the two semi-finals have been held, in which the teams have faced, in addition to the already mentioned New Zealanders and British, the teams of Alinghi Red Bull Racing, from Switzerland; Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli from Italy; Orient express Racing Team, from France, and the historic leaders of the championship, the New York Yacht Club, who this year are sailing under the name ‘American Magic’. Parallel to the Louis Vuitton Club, the competition for the juvenile and women’s categories are also held, where we can find the city’s representation with the team Sail Team BCN.
The main attraction of these regattas is, without any doubt, the spectacular view offered by the ultra-rapid AC75 catamarans. Thanks to their foils, the vessels reach speeds of around 100 km/h, floating and even flying above the water. A technical prowess that reminds us that it is in this type of competition, where thanks to the healthy rivalry between countries innovation, enterprise and technological progress are promoted.
An economic investment for the future
Both the city council and the event organisers insist that it will boost the idea of sailing for the population. In spite of having almost 600 kilometres of coastline, sailing and water sports are not very popular in Catalonia. Even so, the organisation wants to remove the image of elitism and exclusivity which often surrounds water sports. Although it is true that the materials and above all, the vessels involve a very high cost, the creation of infrastructures for holding the competition, which will continue to be used once the event is over, may work as a driver for schools to promote sailing amongst people from all social classes.
Aware of the expectation that this championship generates and without forgetting the idea of making the population take part, during the time of the championship different screens have been installed all along the Barcelona coastline, as well as two ‘fanzones’ for following the development of the different regattas. The television broadcasting has also been on open air, making it accessible for the general public.
Over the competition, it is estimated that over 2.5 million spectators could have enjoyed the spectacle in the city itself, including local people and tourists. An important affluence for which the city council has prepared with an investment of over 50 million euros. A significant amount which, according to the calculations carried out by the Universidad Pompeu Fabra, is estimated could mean a return of 1,200 million euros for the city.
Did you know….?
The first Paralympic Games were held in Rome in 1960
In 1943, the British Government entrusted Ludwig Guttman, a German doctor exiled in Great Britain, with the creation of a spine unit at the Stoke Mandeville hospital. Guttmann, a pioneer in the use of sport as part of physical and psychological rehabilitation, organized the first national competition for athletes in wheelchairs on the 29th of July, 1948, coinciding with the London Olympic Games. This event, known as the Stoke Mandeville Games, marked a milestone to bring together sixteen competitors in the archery modality.
The first “Olympic games for the disabled” (the term Paralympic Games was not coined until the nineteen eighties) took place in Rome, between the 19th and the 24th of September, 1960 and they included eight modalities of different sports: athletics, wheelchair basketball, fencing, swimming, table tennis, archery, dartchery (a combination of darts and archery) and snooker (a form of billiards). Over four hundred wheelchair athletes from twenty-three different countries took part, although Spain did
not take part in the competition as it did not have its own federation.
Over the following decades, the Paralympic Games were held intercalated and did not coincide with the Olympic Games until Seoul 1988, a key event for the paralympic movement.
Later on, Barcelona 1992 consolidated this format, sharing installations and organization with the Olympic Games and important innovations were introduced such as the minimum scores for participation, the anti-doping controls and a new classification system. Additionally, the even had its own television signal for the first time that was made available for the other chains all over the world.
Since 1992, the Paralympic Games have continued to evolve and they are now formed by twenty-two sporting disciplines, divided up between the summer and winter games. With the conclusion of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the next event will be the Winter Paralympic Games, which will be held from the 6th to the 15th of March, 2026.
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