The Deputy for Lanzarote and La Graciosa representing Nueva Canarias-Bloque Canarista (NC-bc) and the local party president, Yone Caraballo, has highlighted this Wednesday the “critical situation” facing the basic life support ambulance service in the municipality of Tinajo. He warned that its continuity may be interrupted starting next month due to a lack of institutional support and commitment from the Council led by Coalición Canaria (CC).
Since 2006, this resource has ensured urgent medical coverage in Tinajo through a collaboration agreement with the council. However, Caraballo states, “this agreement has never fully covered the service’s costs, forcing the managing entity to continuously assume a significant portion of the financing. Over nearly two decades, this situation has resulted in a contribution nearing 700,000 euros, which has been essential for maintaining an indispensable healthcare resource for the area.”
According to the deputy, “the current cost of the ambulance stands at 118,101 euros annually, of which the Tinajo Council contributes only 34,800 euros, leaving the organisation to self-finance the remainder.”
NC-bc notes that “despite this sustained effort over time, the continuity of the service is at serious risk due to the absence of real solutions and the failure to meet basic commitments outlined in the agreement, such as the provision of fuel for the healthcare resource, which has not been guaranteed since 2023. Additionally, the precarious conditions of the emergency post further exacerbate the situation for the professionals providing assistance.”
“We are talking about a life-saving service, particularly during night hours when the Tinajo ambulance is the only one providing emergency coverage in the area from 20:00 to 08:00, every day of the year. Its disappearance would mean that any emergencies would need to be redirected to resources based in Arrecife or Tías, significantly increasing response times and seriously jeopardising the safety of the population,” warned Caraballo.
The Canary Island deputy reminded that this resource “not only serves the population of Tinajo but has also provided assistance in Teguise and, at critical times, has even supported the entire island when ordinary services were overwhelmed.”
For NC-bc, “the Tinajo Council cannot shirk its responsibility or hide behind bureaucratic excuses. We are talking about the health and lives of the residents of the municipality. Allowing this ambulance to disappear would condemn the residents to an unacceptable situation of healthcare vulnerability.”
Nonetheless, NC-bc demands that the Tinajo Council make an immediate correction, including the pursuit of a stable funding agreement to ensure the continuity of this healthcare resource, either under its current identity or another, but ensuring that the service is not discontinued.
“There is no room for inaction. The solution must be urgent, because the vital safety of thousands of people is at stake,” concluded Caraballo.
