President Fernando Clavijo and Councillor Esther Monzón have laid the first stone of the new advanced therapies building at Doctor Negrín Hospital, which will house a proton therapy unit and a cyclotron for the production of radiopharmaceuticals.
The construction of the new advanced therapies building at Gran Canaria University Hospital Doctor Negrín has already begun. This Monday, July 20, the President of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, and the Health Councillor, Esther Monzón, presided over the ceremony for laying the first stone of an infrastructure that will cost €20.5 million and is expected to be completed by the summer of 2028, according to the 24-month execution timeline.
The building, covering 4,300 square meters over five floors, will be located at the southwest corner of the hospital and will house two key technologies: a proton therapy unit for cancer treatment and a cyclotron for producing radiopharmaceuticals. The Canary Islands will be the only autonomous community to have both facilities in the same building, as highlighted by Councillor Monzón.
A milestone for Canary Islands healthcare
Clavijo described the project as a “great advance” for the islands. Proton therapy is a precision radiotherapy technique that allows tumours to be targeted with protons, minimising damage to healthy tissues. Currently, only a few autonomous communities have this technology. The new centre will serve all of the Canary Islands, eliminating the need for patients to travel to the mainland.
Additionally, the cyclotron will enable local production of isotopes for PET scans, ending the historical dependence on external supplies. “This represents a leap in quality for oncological care,” the councillor stated. The awarded company, COPASA Infraestructuras, previously built the proton therapy centre in Galicia, ensuring experience in this type of construction.
A design focused on the patient
The building has been designed following the Humanisation Plan of the Canary Islands Health Service. It will feature a large glass-covered inner courtyard as a waiting area and smaller courtyards in staff circulation areas. The layout separates clinical areas from technical ones: the proton therapy bunker will occupy one side, while the patient area will include a CT scanner and an MRI.
The construction also includes a hydraulic diversion of the existing ravine on the site, integrated into the hospital environment's urban development. The project will be executed in concatenated and partially overlapping phases to meet the expected timeline. Residents of Gran Canaria and the rest of the archipelago will feel the impact when the centre begins operations: more than 200 patients per year could benefit from proton therapy, according to initial estimates.
“This will be the only centre in Spain that will have both proton therapy and an independent cyclotron for Nuclear Medicine in the same building,” emphasised Esther Monzón.
The councillor added that the synergy between both technologies will directly benefit patients, who will no longer have to wait on long lists or travel outside the islands. For healthcare professionals, it represents a significant upgrade in training and resources.
Next steps
Construction is already underway, and the structure is expected to be completed in two years. Following that, the installation of equipment and commissioning tests will take place. The Canary Islands Government is confident that the infrastructure will be operational by the summer of 2028. In the meantime, oncology patients will continue to be referred to mainland centres when necessary, although the council is working on agreements to expedite these processes.
You may also like
