In light of the controversy surrounding the expansion of the Playa Honda Health Center, Coalición Canaria (CC) has issued a press release to convey to the public and the media the fundamental considerations supporting its position.
Economic considerations on the opportunity and necessity of the investment:
According to the party, "expanding the Playa Honda Health Center from 471 m² to 3,500 m², as proposed by the mayor of San Bartolomé and the PSOE, would cost at least 8 million euros, almost double the average annual investment that the PSOE-Nueva Canarias coalition allocated to the entire island of Lanzarote between 2019 and 2023, a period in which NC managed the Treasury and the PSOE managed Health and the Presidency of the Government".
In contrast, they continue to assert that "the current Government of the Canary Islands has increased investment in Lanzarote from 4.2 million in 2023, to 5.1 million in 2024, 7.6 million in 2025, and the 14 million allocated for 2026, which represents three and a half times more than the last budget of the Pacto de las Flores.""It is understood that citizens demand more investment, but precisely the PSOE and Nueva Canarias are not legitimized to do so," they declare
Technical-sanitary and management considerations:
According to the functional plan of the General Directorate of Welfare Programs for 2022, the Playa Honda Health Center would need 1,800 m² —and even less according to the Master Plan currently being drafted—, which would represent an increase of three to four times compared to the current 471 m², but not the 3,500 m² claimed, "a size that does not exist nor is it projected for other areas with more health cards such as Playa Blanca or Tías, let alone for neighborhoods like Titerroy or Valterra with triple and quadruple the users, nor proportionally as large in other areas such as Costa Teguise, Haría or Mala (which also serve Arrieta and Punta Mujeres)".
Furthermore, the nationalists state that the location selected by the city council, in the center of Playa Honda, "is considered inadequate for reasons of mobility, access, and emergency exits, in addition to implying the loss of one of the few sports facilities in the area, the dismantling of which would significantly increase the cost of the project."
CC states that "thanks to the investment effort of the last two years and adequate island planning, healthcare needs have been met according to their urgency, benefiting all citizens, including Playa Honda". Among the achievements are: a radiotherapy bunker, a hemodynamics unit, an early care unit, a new CT scanner, and a state-of-the-art surgical robot (the only one on non-capital islands), a new endoscopy room, or a new lead-lined operating room, and essential facilities for the hospital's operation such as new diesel tanks, the new medical gas plant, or geothermal energy, among others.
In 2026, more than 8 million will be allocated to expand the health centers in San Bartolomé, Tinajo, and Costa Teguise, the new pathological anatomy service, enable an additional 1,000 m² for the hospital's outpatient clinics, or acquire high-tech equipment. Furthermore, almost 6 million will be invested in the power plant, boilers, and chillers, essential for the safe operation of the General Hospital. "These investments also benefit Playa Honda and would not be possible if 8 million were allocated to an expansion considered disproportionate that does not meet adequate technical criteria in terms of size, cost, and location," they point out.
Political Considerations:
Coalición Canaria defends that "the Ministry of Health seeks to improve healthcare in Playa Honda, in San Bartolomé, and in all municipalities of Lanzarote".
"The Pact of Flowers did not plan the Playa Honda Health Center within a global health strategy for the island, but rather by giving preferential attention to the mayor of San Bartolomé, exceeding technical recommendations and allowing the project to be drafted before the land was transferred to the Government of the Canary Islands, something it did not do for the Argana centers, the Playa Blanca expansion, or any other, which remain without a project pending municipal transfer," they say."We would all like to have all those health advancements as close to home as possible, but when you have public responsibilities, you must manage by considering the general interest and available resources. Precisely, the purpose of the master plan currently being drafted is to ensure that decisions on new facilities or expansions are based on a coherent care model, correctly sized and aligned with the current and future needs of the population of Lanzarote and La Graciosa, and not on navel-gazing pretensions," they conclude
