The Government of the Canary Islands and the Council of Tenerife promote the expansion and improvement of services in the Hospital del Sur with the contribution of two million euros, advanced from the financial year 2023, by the regional Executive. This item completes the transfer of 22 million for the infrastructure, according to the plan signed in July 2019. Both administrations are finalizing the definitive agreement, which will be signed before the end of the year, and will lead to the tender for the project of the new valued work in another 40 million. The exchange of ownership of seven parcels will allow the island corporation to build a socio-sanitary center in the old barracks of El Mojón, attached to the main building, to respond to the great demand.
The President of the Canary Islands, Ángel Víctor Torres, highlights the importance of the final 2.28 million euros of that 2019 plan, with multi-year financing, approved this week by the Governing Council. The Cabildo de Tenerife gives up 20,000 square meters, an area that is added to the current one and another 8,000 already existing, which will be rearranged. With this, the southern hospital complex will have a total of 47,000 meters. The insular president, Pedro Martín, points out that “both administrations comply with an important demand from citizens and new investments are guaranteed in 2023.”
lot exchange
The signing of the agreement will mean the exchange of seven parcels. The block that adjoins the current hospital (six parcels) will be owned by the regional government, which may close it. In exchange, the Island Corporation will be able to dispose of the land on the site that was used for specialties: the old El Mojón barracks.
On this land, after the demolition of the existing structures, the socio-sanitary center will be built. Martín alludes to the many people who have been discharged, but remain in hospitals as they do not have socio-sanitary places. The Hospital del Sur will offer dialysis and chemotherapy in the new planned portfolio. Likewise, emergencies will be expanded.
Ángel Víctor Torres indicates that the final transfer to the Cabildo reinforces the commitment of the regional Executive for this health infrastructure. Judgment: “The government of Canary Islands It has complied with the delivery of that money and the Cabildo, too, with the transfer of six plots. The seventh will take the future socio-sanitary center ». The payment schedule for the 2019 agreement, amounts already paid, is as follows: five million in 2019; 4,925,000 in 2020, another 4,925,000 in 2021, that same figure in 2022 and, for 2023, these 2.28 million announced.
The new agreement, which will be signed before the end of this year, clarifies the properties, plots and uses, as well as the actions of the two governments “to be able to tender, already in 2023, the technical project.” This has an approximate cost of one million euros and will be included in the new addendum that has to be signed. From there, the forecasts suggest that the works can be tendered in 2023 and begin in 2024.
“This is unstoppable”
Torres stresses: “Once the agreement is signed, this is unstoppable.” It will make it possible to have an ICU for adults and pediatrics, a dialysis service, a day hospital and an expansion of the surgical area. The regional president takes stock of the services provided at the Hospital del Sur. Thus, in the first half of the year he registered 3,121 surgical operations, 740 more than in all of 2021, 49,307 emergencies and 92,000 consultations.
Torres guarantees the hiring of personnel, “contrary to what has been done in Madrid” for this hospital, which will be third level. He gives the example of the 7,000 toilets in the process of integrating public staff. Pedro Martín also highlights “the need to continue investing in the Hospital del Norte”. In this regard, he recalls the agreement with the La Orotava City Council to obtain planning authorization that will unlock the construction of a new socio-sanitary center in the Villa. The elderly people who are now in the North Hospital will be moved there and an entire floor will be freed to expand hospital services.
Finally, Martín indicates that during this term, services such as major outpatient surgery, ophthalmology or various improvements in gynecology have been incorporated into the health infrastructure of the north of the island after an investment of some two million euros.
