Sanidad spokesperson for Lanzarote’s PSOE, Sabina Vizcaíno, has condemned the Canarian Government’s decision to delay the public presentation of the Health Infrastructure Master Plan. This delay comes while health officials brief members of the Coalición Canaria (CC) on the plan at their party headquarters.
“While the public remains in the dark, CC members receive privileged information. This is a blatant power play and a disrespect towards an island that has waited months for answers about its healthcare,” Vizcaíno stated.
The meeting took place on 14 October in Arrecife, involving CC’s island secretary Pedro San Ginés, Lanzarote’s Health Area Director Erasmo García, and the manager of health services, Pablo Eguía.
“These officials should be accountable to the public, not providing explanations first to their party. Why should CC members get access to information denied to everyone else?” she questioned.
Vizcaíno also highlighted that the Canarian Government submitted the Plan for review to the Canarian Health Service on 15 October, just a day after the CC meeting. “They need to clarify what document was shared, its status, and why CC members had access before the general public.”
She expressed particular concern that this situation arises while the future of the Insular Hospital remains uncertain. Both the Canarian Government and CC have linked responses about the hospital’s future to the presentation of the Master Plan.
“Thousands took to the streets to defend the Insular Hospital. They did not do it for their future to be discussed behind closed doors at a party headquarters. They demanded guarantees about its continuity, reforms, and public geriatric care. And they are still waiting,” she said.
Vizcaíno criticises that, as health needs in Lanzarote pile up, CC prioritises its party agenda. “Waiting lists, overdue health centres, and elderly care cannot be secondary to CC’s political interests. If the Plan is important enough to discuss with party members, it should also be presented publicly to all citizens.”
Consequently, she has called on the Canarian Government to make the Plan public, outline its actions for Lanzarote and La Graciosa, and specify timelines and funding, ensuring guarantees regarding the reform and continuation of Insular Hospital services.
