Tomás Pérez hails a health “leap” in Fuerteventura after a term of “zero projects”

The Director of the Health Area of Fuerteventura, Tomás Pérez, argues that the island is experiencing a genuine turning point in health care.

“Compared with the previous legislature, which delivered zero works in Fuerteventura, projects are now being materialised and construction is already underway,” he told La Voz de Fuerteventura on Radio Insular, adding that a “leap” is taking place.

Pérez defines this leap as the emergence of new infrastructure—especially the Specialised Care Centre (CAE), whose project draft has just been tendered—expanded services, a shift in the dynamics of the General Hospital, and a comprehensive re‑planning of health care across the island.

“After years of blockage and inaction, we are working so that Fuerteventura experiences a trend change, a real leap,” he affirmed.

CAE of the South: a before‑and‑after

Pérez positions the Specialised Care Centre (CAE) of La Lajita as the cornerstone of this transformation. He describes it as an infrastructure “that will mark a before‑and‑after for Fuerteventura’s health system,” capable of handling a portfolio comparable to the 22 specialties offered at the General Hospital and easing the service pressure in the south.

Addressing lingering doubts about land ownership, he says:

“Certain individuals, driven by personal interests, are sowing uncertainty, but the land has been assigned to the Canary Islands Health Service since December 2024.”

That assignment, he notes, enabled the tendering of the project draft for a building that will start at a minimum of 16,000 m² and will be built vertically to allow future expansions. The drafting team will determine the final number of floors for the future southern hospital.

General Hospital of Fuerteventura: master plan, new facilities and more parking

Reflecting on the situation inherited at the start of the legislature, Pérez recalls:

“Two and a half years ago we faced an absolutely deficient situation, and some services were outside the hospital because of staff shortages.”

Today, he says, the hospital is more attractive to professionals and has broadened its service portfolio, highlighted by the hemodynamics unit, which he calls “a genuine before‑and‑after in cardiac care.” Nevertheless, demographic and care‑demand growth will force continued expansion. The 2003 functional plan is “exhausted,” and his health area has already requested funding to draft a new master plan.

The forthcoming document will also tackle the severe parking shortage—currently only about 630 spaces—and Pérez has opened talks with the Puerto del Rosario City Council, which is willing to allocate municipal land for additional parking.

Giving birth in water

Among the projects slated for the General Hospital, construction will begin on a two‑level wing that will house a new Early Care Unit, sparing children from having to navigate the entire hospital circuit for therapy.

A complete renovation of the maternity wards is also planned, which will include the option of water births.

“We want to give our women the possibility of giving birth in a bathtub,” Pérez explained.

The health authority also intends to recover an operating theatre to boost surgical activity and to finalise a European project on neurodegenerative diseases led by the Neurology department.

Public‑private collaboration?

While celebrating progress, Pérez acknowledges a shortage of specialists and points out critical gaps in two areas of the General Hospital:

“We are struggling with rehabilitation medicine and digestive medicine,” he admits, noting that the latter is currently sustained by a single professional due to staffing circumstances.

To ensure continuity of care, the health area is negotiating specialist reinforcement from reference hospitals and is temporarily turning to private health providers.

Following recent controversy over statements by the CEO of the University Hospital of Torrejón de Ardoz—run by the private group Ribera Salud—who urged staff to expand waiting‑list times, Pérez stresses:

“Everything should be resolved publicly, but sometimes circumstances overwhelm us.”

He adds that the island’s policy remains firm:

“Our surgical services are largely refused to be outsourced to the private sector.”

Historically, the entire surgical portfolio has been handled within the hospital, with extra shifts or schedule reorganisations when needed. External collaborations are limited to resonances, special CT scans, densitometries, electromyographies, and now endoscopies due to the digestive service’s situation.

“It’s not just about contracting; we must also monitor the execution of the services we contract,” he warned, emphasizing that all outsourced tests are recorded in the digital clinical history under medical supervision.

A health map with updates for 2026

Pérez outlines a series of infrastructure projects slated in the Canary Islands’ budget for Fuerteventura:

• Health Centre Corralejo 2, valued at €11 million, is ready for tendering.
• The Cotillo health office, newly opened, is expanding its health‑card registrations and hours to meet rising demand.
• In Matorral, the planned facility awaits final land assignment.
• In El Castillo, the municipality of Antigua is transferring a 2,500 m² parcel to create a new health resource.
• Gran Tarajal will receive a two‑storey building for Mental Health and Rehabilitation, relieving pressure on the existing centre; the premises have already been leased and will be fitted for service delivery.
• In the south, the expansion of the Costa Calma health office is under supervision, while work on the Morro Jable health centre remains stalled due to a lack of bidders—a problem Pérez warns is beginning to repeat on other islands and threatens project execution.

Professionals trained “at high altitude”

Regarding the medical helicopter based in Fuerteventura—a long‑standing island demand—Pérez assures that it will be operational before March.

He also highlights that many professionals have self‑funded their own advanced training, strengthening the team’s capabilities.

With the CAE tendered, hospital works underway, and the island‑wide initiatives progressing, Pérez concludes that Fuerteventura is set to experience a genuine leap in health care.