The works at the Playa Blanca Health Center could begin in 15 days, after months of delay

The remodeling and expansion works of the Playa Blanca Health Center, which should have started in December, could begin in 15 days. It is the result of a meeting held this Wednesday by the Island Director of Health, Juan Manuel Sosa, the Mayor of Yaiza, José Francisco Reyes, and the Director of Sanitary Infrastructures of the Canary Islands Government, Julio de la Rosa, in which they have agreed to move the health center to a new building near the new bus station in the town, so that the works can begin.

A "fruitful" meeting, as described by Juan Manuel Sosa, in which the Director of Sanitary Infrastructures has also given the green light to a plot of land that will be used for the construction of a clinic in the case of Yaiza. The mayor of the southern municipality has committed to initiate the procedures so that the Canary Islands Government can put the project out to tender in the coming months.

Regarding the Playa Blanca Center, in principle, it was going to be moved to two bungalows while the works were carried out, which should have started six months ago, but the relocation never occurred because the procedures to rent the bungalows were very slow, since as a public institution they needed to put it out to tender. The delay of more than six months has led to protests from the residents of Playa Blanca, who have gathered in front of the center to demand the "immediate" execution of the works. Now, it has been agreed to move the center to a building near the bus stop, with 300 square meters of surface area and that already has electricity, water and telephone service, pending the conditioning and the provisional transfer of use by the southern Consistory.

Regarding the other two neighborhood demands in terms of health, Juan Manuel Sosa has announced that the issue of the 24-hour emergency service in Playa Blanca will be discussed next Tuesday in the Management Committee "so that it starts working as soon as possible, when the works are finished". With respect to the medicalized ambulance, he assures that in the event that a continuous care point is activated, it would not be "so urgent".

La Graciosa and Tías Health Center

Regarding the La Graciosa Health Center, Juan Manuel Sosa assures that "the works have gone very fast" and the canalizations have been carried out and the walls and floor have been tiled, so "there is little left for its execution to finish". Similarly, the elevators of the newly opened Tías health center could be in operation in 15 days.