PSOE Defends Future of Hospital Insular Amidst Coalition Canaria Criticism
The PSOE party in Lanzarote has strongly refuted claims made by Coalition Canaria regarding the future of Hospital Insular, asserting that there are no plans to close the hospital or diminish its geriatric services.
María Dolores Corujo, the general secretary of PSOE Lanzarote, accused Coalition Canaria of “deliberately lying” to distract from the pressing question: what will the Canary Islands Government and the Lanzarote Cabildo do about Hospital Insular?
José Luis Aparicio, the former health area manager, clarified that the Functional Plan his management proposed included an expanded hospital structure with three hospitalisation units and a palliative care unit, totalling between 102 and 118 beds. He emphasised that this plan did not suggest the closure of the hospital but rather aimed to enhance its capacity with 32-40 beds for acute care, 32-40 for medium-term stays, 30 for long-term stays, and eight for palliative care.
Aparicio stated that this factual data contradicts Coalition Canaria’s narrative. He noted that plans for the hospital were designed to increase its capacity and maintain its essential role in the community.
Regarding the Anexa Residence, Aparicio explained that it was not included in the Functional Plan since its relocation had already been anticipated and agreed upon in the integration agreement signed by former Cabildo President Pedro San Ginés and José Manuel Baltar, the Canary Islands Health Minister. He clarified that the Anexa Residence would be moved to a new social health centre in Teguise in order to continue providing care.
Aparicio reiterated that the move was a plan in place well before the current PSOE administration. He cautioned that Coalition Canaria is misrepresenting the project by showing only a partial plan that does not represent the entire scope of the hospital’s development, which encompasses three floors.
The PSOE has raised public concerns following comments from Fernando Clavijo, the Canary Islands President, about creating a “different” Hospital Insular without clearly ensuring the continuity of its current geriatric model. Corujo concluded by stating that the PSOE will continue to advocate for the hospital’s continuation and its comprehensive reform, reiterating that Lanzarote wants clear assurances about the future of its geriatric hospital services.
