A smart health move in Benidorm, Costa Blanca

NEXT spring sees the introduction of Benidorm’s Protection and Smart Technical Tourist Attention (PATTI) scheme.
Benidorm’s mayor Toni Perez announced the project at the FITUR tourism trade fair in Madrid where he introduced the scheme to Spain’s Tourism minister, Reyes Maroto. Perez explained that the health assistance initiative is particularly directed at elderly tourists with a chronic illness, those wanting round-the-clock communication with a health centre or simply wishing to ensure that they are not alone while on holiday.
The scheme, expected to begin operating in the spring, will provide greater protection for visitors, especially those from outside Spain, the mayor said. PATTI’s coordinators have now signed agreements with two private hospitals which are cooperating with the scheme, municipal sources revealed. The initiative created by the Visit Benidorm tourist board, the town hall and Wellcomtour, was announced last September, Perez said.
Following the testing phase, PATTI is practically ready to launch, he added. Users are provided with an electronic device incorporating a geo-locator and intercom with an SOS emergency button providing immediate assistance in their own language. There is also a fall detector that will mobilise assistance at the location indicated by the geo-locator.