Lanzarote Health Centres Become the Latest Political Battleground as Playa Honda Waits for Answers
Residents across Lanzarote are welcoming major investment in local healthcare, but a growing political row has erupted over why some communities are seeing their health centres expanded while Playa Honda is still waiting for its new facility.
Healthcare has become the latest point of political tension in Lanzarote, with the PSOE in San Bartolomé accusing Coalición Canaria of giving preferential treatment to municipalities where the party holds power.
At the centre of the dispute is Playa Honda, where residents have been campaigning for a new health centre for years.
The controversy comes at a time when healthcare investment in Lanzarote is increasing, with several existing health centres and local medical facilities either undergoing improvements, being expanded or moving forward with new projects.
For residents – and for visitors spending extended periods on the island – the issue is about much more than politics. Lanzarote's growing population means pressure on healthcare services is becoming increasingly important.
MAJOR IMPROVEMENTS PLANNED FOR TINAJO AND COSTA TEGUISE
Two of the projects highlighted in the current political debate are the improvements planned for Tinajo and Costa Teguise.
In Tinajo, the expansion of the local health centre has now been formally awarded. The €656,980 project will add around 131 square metres to the existing building, creating a new medical consultation room, a nursing consultation room and a multi-purpose room.
The work is expected to take approximately four months. The Tinajo facility currently has 6,607 registered health cards and recorded tens of thousands of medical, nursing and paediatric consultations during 2025, demonstrating the level of demand placed on the centre.
Costa Teguise is also seeing substantial investment.
The Canary Islands Health Service has awarded a contract worth around €2.66 million for the expansion and refurbishment of the local consultorio. The project is intended to reorganise the existing building and create a larger, more complete healthcare facility, including areas for general healthcare, paediatrics, adults, multi-purpose services and urgent care.
Importantly, the work is planned so that the health centre can continue operating while the improvements are carried out.
And the investment in Costa Teguise doesn't stop there.
The Teguise council has also announced that Sanidad has authorised the rental of a property of around 1,460–1,490 square metres at Calipso Center for a new Centro de Atención Especializada, designed to provide additional outpatient healthcare services and improve access to specialist care.
SO WHY IS PLAYA HONDA CAUSING CONTROVERSY?
This is where the political argument really begins.
The PSOE in San Bartolomé says it is unfair that substantial investment is moving forward in places such as Tinajo and Costa Teguise while Playa Honda is still waiting for its new health centre.
Local socialist representatives have accused Coalición Canaria of favouring municipalities governed by the party and have described the situation as a political issue.
The criticism has been particularly strong because Playa Honda has experienced significant population growth and currently relies on an existing consultorio which, according to local political representatives, is no longer sufficient for the needs of the community.
The San Bartolomé authorities say land has been made available and that technical and planning work has already been carried out for the proposed facility.
But there is another side to the story.
THE PROPOSED LOCATION IS PART OF THE PROBLEM
The disagreement isn't simply about whether Playa Honda needs a new health centre.
There has also been considerable discussion about where the new centre should be built.
Earlier this year, the Lanzarote Health Area confirmed that there was a commitment to a new health centre for Playa Honda, but raised concerns about the location proposed by the municipality.
One of the main concerns was accessibility and traffic.
Health officials indicated that the proposed site could create difficulties for vehicles and ambulances, and they asked the Ayuntamiento de San Bartolomé to consider providing alternative land.
That means the situation is somewhat more complicated than simply saying that Playa Honda's health centre has been “cancelled”.
The need for a new facility is not the only question – the location and design of the project remain important issues.
Government planning documents also show that proposals for a new health centre in Playa Honda have been under consideration for several years, reflecting the area's long-term population growth.
LANZAROTE'S HEALTHCARE NETWORK IS UNDER INCREASING PRESSURE
The political argument comes against a much bigger backdrop.
Lanzarote's population has grown considerably, while the number of people actually using the island's healthcare system includes more than simply those officially registered as residents.
The island's health authorities have recently highlighted a particularly striking increase in the number of active health cards.
According to the Director of the Lanzarote Health Area, there are now around 20,000 more health cards than three years ago, increasing pressure on primary care and emergency services.
That matters to both residents and visitors.
Lanzarote is one of Spain's busiest holiday destinations, and thousands of people are on the island at any given time who may require access to healthcare, pharmacies, emergency services or medical advice.
For residents, meanwhile, growing communities mean that facilities originally designed for smaller populations can quickly become stretched.
IT'S NOT JUST PLAYA HONDA
The current investment programme is considerably wider than the three locations at the centre of the political row.
The Canary Islands Government has outlined a programme of healthcare infrastructure improvements across Lanzarote, including work involving San Bartolomé, Playa Blanca, Haría, Tinajo, Tahíche and Costa Teguise.
The programme also includes improvements to cooling systems at health centres in Titerroy, Tías and Playa Blanca.
Tahíche has already seen its local consultorio completely refurbished, with an investment of around €500,000.
The work included accessibility improvements, greater energy efficiency and solar panels, with the renovated facility serving more than 4,000 people registered there.
The Director of the Lanzarote Health Area has also stated that approximately €14 million in healthcare investment is being undertaken on the island during 2026.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR PEOPLE LIVING IN OR VISITING LANZAROTE?
For most people, the political argument will matter far less than whether they can actually access a doctor when they need one.
For Lanzarote residents, expanding healthcare facilities could mean more consultation rooms, improved accessibility, better emergency provision and greater capacity as communities continue to grow.
For long-term visitors, digital nomads and people spending several months on the island, knowing where local healthcare facilities are located is increasingly important.
And for tourists, improvements to the island's healthcare infrastructure provide another layer of reassurance. Nobody plans to need medical attention while on holiday, but accidents, illness and unexpected medical problems can happen anywhere.
THE BIGGER QUESTION FOR LANZAROTE
There is little disagreement that Lanzarote needs investment in healthcare.
The argument is over where that investment should go, how quickly projects should progress and whether political considerations are influencing decisions.
The PSOE has made its position clear, arguing that Playa Honda deserves the same attention being given to other growing communities.
The health authorities, meanwhile, have already demonstrated that Playa Honda remains part of the wider healthcare planning picture, while also raising concerns about the proposed location.
With Lanzarote continuing to grow, the pressure on local healthcare services is unlikely to disappear.
The challenge now is making sure that new health centres and improvements are delivered where they are most needed – and that decisions are based on population, accessibility and healthcare demand rather than political arguments.
For an island as popular and rapidly developing as Lanzarote, accessible, modern healthcare is becoming just as important as roads, water, housing and transport when it comes to the island's future.
An AI Generated Image has been used in this Article.
