Costa del Sol university hospital promotes volunteer programmes

The Costa del Sol university hospital (HUCS) has held a new on-site edition of the volunteering course with the aim of training, guiding and qualifying people interested in providing emotional support and accompaniment to patients and their families. Beyond personal commitment, this technical and human training is "essential to guarantee patient safety and compliance with healthcare protocols", and is a mandatory requirement to carry out volunteer work in the hospital environment.

Currently, the HUCS has more than 60 people who participate in the various volunteer programmes provided at its centres as a source of social support for hospitalised people who are admitted on a temporary basis and who do not receive visitors. They also support those who suffer from some kind of limitation in their social support network and need other people to help them overcome their isolation and social difficulties.

In this last course, some 40 people took part, who received training on the rights and duties of patients; the accessibility and citizen care units; recommendations and standard precautions and isolation in patients at risk in hospital; as well as other aspects such as social skills and communication or volunteering itself.

The HUCS said that "loneliness is a factor that negatively influences the recovery of patients' health". Thus, the volunteer programmes bring together two "basic" elements in hospitals: the efforts of professionals and the solidarity of volunteers to ensure that "all patients who find themselves in one of these situations find the necessary support to not feel alone, to be accompanied and to alleviate their situation of need".

The programmes are made possible due to agreements signed with organisations such as the Spanish association against cancer and the Marbella volunteer platform, among others.