Canary Islands Launches €1.1M Tender for Hospital del Sur Expansion Design

The Canary Islands' Ministry of Health has started the process to hire a company to design the expansion and renovation of Hospital del Sur. This project is expected to cost 1,097,245 euros. The regional government announced that the design work should take ten months.

However, based on the current timeline for this first stage, it's unlikely that construction will begin before the current government's term ends. This delay comes at a time when healthcare is increasingly needed in a region that's growing fast, and where many people feel healthcare services are unevenly distributed.

"Phase I" of the plan involves finishing two parts of the hospital that were left incomplete over ten years ago. It also includes adding new departments like Critical Care, Hemodynamics, and a new Hospitalization Unit. The project will also expand the surgery area and key services such as the Emergency Room, Outpatient Clinics, and Diagnostic Imaging. Improvements to the hospital's internal layout are also planned to make it run more smoothly.

While the regional government points to recent improvements, like adding Palliative Care, an Oncological Day Hospital, and Early Intervention units, and buying new diagnostic equipment, these changes haven't fixed the main problem. The hospital's current facilities are still not enough for over 200,000 residents. Many of these residents often have to travel to the University Hospital of La Candelaria for specialized care.

This latest development is part of a long history of delays, stoppages, and broken promises stretching back over 40 years. The idea of a hospital in the south of the island first appeared in 1978, when the central government, through the National Institute of Health, set aside 70 million pesetas for its construction. However, building didn't start until 2005 and then stopped again. Work restarted in 2014, and it wasn't until May 2015 that the old Specialized Care Center (CAE) of El Mojón moved into the new building. The hospital was officially opened that same year, but its first beds weren't ready for patients until July 2016.

In January 2023, when the PSOE party was in charge of both the regional government and the Tenerife Island Council (Cabildo), a second update to their agreement was signed. This deal meant the Cabildo would transfer the land and the unfinished building to the regional government for the hospital's expansion. In return, the regional government promised to hand over the old barracks of the former Specialized Care Center (CAE), which are planned to become a social and health care center.

Looking at its activity, during 2025, Hospital del Sur managed 63,487 consultations, performed 4,495 surgical operations, handled 63,761 emergencies, and gave 6,498 treatments in its day hospitals. Additionally, it carried out 145,744 functional and radiological tests to diagnose and monitor health issues for the people of southern Tenerife.