The former manager of the Health Area of Lanzarote, José Luis Aparicio, has responded to the accusations from Coalición Canaria and detailed that the Functional Plan from his time included between 102 and 118 beds, expanding the care capacity of the centre.
The Socialist Party of Lanzarote categorically denied on Friday the accusations from Coalición Canaria regarding a supposed plan to eliminate the Insular Hospital. The general secretary of the PSOE on the island, María Dolores Corujo, described the nationalists' claims as a "deliberate lie" and demanded that the Government of the Canary Islands and the Cabildo clarify the future of the centre.
At the heart of the controversy is the Functional Plan that the PSOE claims to have developed during its time in government. José Luis Aparicio, manager of the Health Area of Lanzarote during that period, explained that this technical document, public and consultable, not only did not foresee the closure of the hospital but also increased its resources.
A plan with more beds and specialised units
According to Aparicio, the Functional Plan included three hospitalisation units and a palliative care unit, with a total capacity of between 102 and 118 beds. Specifically, 32-40 beds for the Acute Unit, another 32-40 for Medium Stay, 30 for Long Stay, and 8 for Palliative Care.
“These data, which are objective and consultable, contradict Coalición Canaria's narrative by themselves,” the former manager stated. “We commissioned a technical planning document, with an increase in the number of beds, units, and future care capacity.”
The socialist insisted that the aim was to ensure sufficient capacity to meet the present and future needs of Lanzarote. “That is planning, not closure,” he concluded.
The Annex Residence: a prior commitment from CC
Regarding the Annex Residence, Aparicio recalled that its exit from the Insular Hospital was not a socialist idea, but a provision included in the integration agreement signed by the then president of the Cabildo of Lanzarote, Pedro San Ginés (CC), and the health councillor, José Manuel Baltar.
“The Annex Residence is not in the Functional Plan because San Ginés and Baltar had already planned its exit from the Insular Hospital,” he explained. The agreement established a deadline to launch the new socio-health centre in Teguise and transfer the places there, freeing up space in the hospital.
Aparicio added that the image disseminated by Coalición Canaria is a partial scheme of the ground floor, not the complete project, which included three floors. “Using a partial plan as if it represented the entirety can lead to a misinterpretation and generate confusion,” he warned.
The PSOE demands clarity from CC on the geriatric model
Corujo emphasised that social concern is growing in light of statements from the president of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, who has spoken of a "different" Insular Hospital without guaranteeing the continuity of its geriatric model. “They can lie, they can manipulate technical documents, but they will not cover the main issue: Lanzarote wants to know if Coalición Canaria will maintain the Insular Hospital as a geriatric hospital,” she concluded.
The PSOE has reiterated its defence of the centre's continuity, its comprehensive reform, and the maintenance of its care model. Meanwhile, the island's residents are awaiting a clear response from the regional government and the Cabildo regarding the future of a hospital that has been serving the population for decades.
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