Tenerife Cabildo Demands Urgent Action on "Collapsing" Healthcare
Tenerife's local government unanimously demanded urgent action from the Canary Islands Government to address the island's collapsing public healthcare system, citing issues like long waiting lists and staff shortages.
Tenerife's local government, the Cabildo, united on Thursday to demand urgent action from the Canary Islands Government. They want immediate steps to stop the decline of public healthcare on the island.
The Cabildo unanimously approved a proposal from the Socialist Group. This proposal warns that the healthcare system is collapsing and calls for an immediate response from the regional government.
Socialist spokesperson Aarón Afonso presented the initiative during the full council meeting. He managed to get all political groups to support it, showing that the Cabildo is united on what he called a deep-rooted health crisis affecting thousands of patients in Tenerife.
During the discussion, Afonso highlighted problems with hospital emergency services, long waiting lists, and difficulties getting basic doctor appointments (Primary Care). He explained that these issues have been ongoing for several months.
Afonso mentioned that people are waiting over 30 hours in emergency rooms, weeks for a doctor's appointment, and months for diagnostic tests or surgery.
He specifically named La Candelaria and HUC hospitals, as well as Hospital del Sur and Hospital del Norte. He criticized these hospitals for operating well below their full potential due to a lack of staff and facilities.
In his speech, Afonso directly asked the Cabildo president and councillors from the CC, PP, and Vox parties to "go out into the streets" and see for themselves the true state of public healthcare by listening to citizens.
He believes that what people think matches the facts: the Canary Islands healthcare system is currently facing one of its toughest times.
Afonso also blamed the current regional government, led by President Fernando Clavijo and Vice-President Manuel Domínguez, for pushing an unprecedented policy of privatizing healthcare. He stated this is creating a two-tier system: an overloaded public system and a private one only for those who can pay.
The motion approved by the Cabildo demands more staff, better healthcare facilities, a real strengthening of basic doctor services (Primary Care), and an effective way to shorten waiting lists.
The Socialist Group stressed that everyone agreeing on this strengthens their message. It makes it clear that the healthcare situation in Tenerife is not just a political argument, but an emergency that needs immediate decisions from the Canary Islands Government.