The collectives that make up Canarias tiene un límite have warned of the "serious imbalance" that is occurring between the growth of the population, tourist expansion, and the capacity of the public health system in the islands.
In this regard, it has recalled that in recent years they have experienced an "intense and disproportionate growth", both in its population and in tourist activity, without that increase having been accompanied by an equivalent reinforcement of public health.
40% more inhabitants and 65% more tourist beds
According to data offered by Canarias tiene un límite, since the mid-nineties, the population of Canarias has grown by 40%, which means more than 600,000 additional residents. "This imbalance has caused a clear loss of capacity in the healthcare system in relation to the population," the collective stated in a communiqué. "Today there are fewer hospital beds per inhabitant than three decades ago, while Canarias also receives more than 18 and a half million tourists per year, a floating population that also requires healthcare for emergencies or the so-called “health tourism”, which has to be assumed by a practically stagnant hospital system," they criticized.
In the last three decades, the archipelago increased its tourist beds by up to 65%, going from the 330,250 that existed in 1996 to 545,344 in 2023, while in that same period public hospital beds have barely increased by 2%, going from 4,776 to 4,876, that is, only 100 more beds in 30 years, according to official data from ISTAC and the Ministry of Health.
In absolute figures, this represents more than 215,000 new tourist beds compared to only 100 hospital beds in 30 years. As a consequence, today there are in the Canary Islands more than 1000 tourist beds for each hospital bed, a proportion that evidences the priorities of the economic and territorial model implemented in the islands.
“The problem is not only the increase in population or tourists, but that this growth has been allowed without sizing essential public services,” they have pointed out from the platform. “The result is saturation, waiting lists and a progressive deterioration of healthcare,” they have emphasized.
Given this scenario, Canarias Tiene un Límite has demanded "an urgent change of priorities" that takes into account the real capacity of the territory and of public services, placing the health of the Canarian population at the center of public policies.
