Axarquía hospital extension officially opens

The Axarquía regional hospital in Torre del Mar on the eastern Costa del Sol took a significant step forward with the official opening of a new extension on Monday 23 March.

The extension creates space for new key care areas including an outpatients area, radiology, gastroenterology and care for patients with chronic illnesses. The president of the Andalusian regional government, Juanma Moreno, presided over the ceremony, during which he highlighted that since 2019, "almost 11 million euros" have been invested in various improvemensts at the hospital in addition to "more than four million" in high-tech equipment.

Two new buildings have been built, adjoining the main hospital block, intended for non-clinical services including an auditorium, cafeteria, chapel and the training and teaching rooms.

During a press conference, at which Moreno did not take questions from journalists, he argued that Andalucía is now “the region that invests the most” in healthcare in budgetary terms.

The Axarquía Hospital, which opened in the mid-1980s, had reached “the limits of its capacity” and was under pressure from the population and tourism growth in the Axarquía. "Here we have a problem that does not exist in other areas: rapid growth linked to strong economic growth and development, which requires healthcare services to be adapted to the new needs of the public,” Moreno explained.

The extension is the latest in a series of improvements undertaken since 2019: new paediatric clinics, an MRI suite, a surgical outpatients area and the refurbishment of facilities for haematology, gynaecology and radiology, amongst other services.

In addition, the centre has been equipped with state-of-the-art technology, including the latest generation of radiological ultrasound scanners, a digital mammography unit with integrated biopsy capability, and robotic radiology systems, which enhance the diagnostic capacity of the healthcare area.

The president has described the work in Vélez-Málaga as part of an “intensive healthcare renewal plan” across the province, which includes the new clinic in Algarrobo Costa, the future health centre in Nerja – with an investment of 9.5 million euros and now in the final stages of completion – and the health centre in Rincón de la Victoria, where work will begin this year with a budget of over 15 million euros and will quadruple its floor space.

Moreno also mentioned accessibility improvements and refurbishments at the centres in Benamargosa, Torre del Mar, Vélez Sur, Viñuela, Torre and Almáchar, as well as the new CARE centre in El Palo, in Malaga city.

The Axarquía regional hospital serves a catchment area of over 180,000 inhabitants, a figure that rises significantly in summer due to the influx of tourists.