The island of Fuerteventura will have three new ambulances, two advanced life support and one basic, which will be located in Corralejo, Gran Tarajal and El Castillo. The announcement has generated criticism from the PSOE, which claims it raises false expectations.
The Health Department of the Government of the Canary Islands has announced the addition of three new ambulances to the emergency transport network of Fuerteventura, aiming to improve healthcare coverage on the island. Two of the vehicles will be advanced life support with nursing staff and will be assigned to the health centres in Corralejo and Gran Tarajal, while the third, a basic life support unit, will serve El Castillo, in the municipality of Antigua.
These new units will join the current fleet of nine ambulances, consisting of two medicalised and seven basic. With this expansion, the island aims to respond to the population growth and the high influx of tourists, especially in the north, where Corralejo has a high demand for assistance.
The nationalist deputy Mario Cabrera, from the Coalition Canaria group, has defended the need to strengthen the emergency transport network due to the geographical extent of Fuerteventura and its floating population. "The island needed a more balanced distribution of resources," he noted, highlighting that the new ambulances will help reduce response times in areas far from the main urban centres.
For her part, the Health Minister, Esther Monzón, explained that the decision is based on a technical study that analyses healthcare activity, the geographical dispersion of the population, and the demographic characteristics of the island. "These resources, along with the medicalised helicopter added at the beginning of the year, form a more complete, better distributed, and more territorially balanced transport network," Monzón stated.
However, the socialist opposition has received the announcement with scepticism. PSOE deputy Manuel Hernández Cerezo has described the measure as "propaganda that generates false expectations," and reminded that the ambulances will not be operational until the new emergency transport contract is tendered and awarded. According to union sources, this process will not be completed before the end of 2027 or early 2028, due to a labour conflict in the sector.
Hernández insisted that "it is irresponsible to announce new ambulances without the tender process being underway," and urged the Canary Government to expedite the procedures so that the vehicles can provide service as soon as possible. "The residents cannot wait years to see their healthcare needs met," he added.
The location of the ambulances is based on a criterion of territorial balance. The advanced life support unit in Gran Tarajal will reinforce the south and southeast of the island, while the one in Corralejo will improve coverage in the north, an area with high tourist density and specific urgent care needs. The basic ambulance in El Castillo, in the centre of Fuerteventura, will complete the network to ensure quicker transfers in that area.
The announcement comes in a context of historical demands from the residents of Fuerteventura, who report excessive waiting times for emergency care, especially in the more remote areas from the reference hospitals, such as the General Hospital of Fuerteventura in Puerto del Rosario. The island, with an area of over 1,600 square kilometres and a population exceeding 120,000, combined with a high number of tourists, requires an agile and well-distributed healthcare transport network.
The Canary Government insists that the technical study supporting the decision is already completed and that work is underway on the tender for the new contract. However, the PSOE warns that, without a concrete timetable, the announcement risks remaining a mere statement of intent. "Citizens need action, not promises," Hernández emphasised.
Meanwhile, the unions in the healthcare sector have expressed concern over the delay in resolving the labour conflict, which affects the working conditions of ambulance drivers and technicians. The lack of agreement between the concessionary companies and the workers could further delay the deployment of the new vehicles.
For his part, Mario Cabrera wanted to send a message of reassurance to the population: "The goal is to provide the island with a more efficient emergency transport network adapted to current demands. The three ambulances are a firm step in that direction."
The arrival of these vehicles will represent a 33% increase in the current fleet, which, according to the regional government, will significantly improve response times in the most underserved areas. However, the opposition's scepticism and the unions cast doubt on whether the measure will materialise in the short term.
For the residents of Fuerteventura, the news generates mixed expectations. While some celebrate the announcement as a necessary advance, others recall that improvements promised in the past took years to arrive. The key will lie in the agility of administrative procedures and the resolution of the labour conflict that hampers the sector.
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