Vélez-Málaga construction work on HM Hospital to begin in September, with opening set for 2028

Ferrovial will construct the hospital on a 55,000-square-metre site. The initial plan included a one-year construction period and a possible opening in autumn 2027, but this period has now been extended to 20 months.

The complex will initially have a floor area of around 10,000 square metres, although the design allows for future extensions.

The hospital will have around 50 beds, some 50 consultation rooms, six operating theatres, a medical and surgical outpatient hospital and an intensive care unit for adults. It will also offer A&E services for adult and paediatric patients, diagnostic imaging and a wide range of medical specialities.

At full capacity, HM Hospitales estimates that the new centre will be able to handle around 250,000 consultations, carry out 5,000 surgical procedures and treat around 30,000 A&E cases each year.

The complex will also feature a diagnostic imaging department equipped with CT scans, MRI, mammography, ultrasound, conventional radiology and digital radiography, alongside specialist units for endoscopy, pain management and women's healthcare. According to the group, the 50 beds initially planned may be expanded to more than 60.

The hospital's commissioning will reportedly create more than 250 jobs and generate activity linked to suppliers, service providers and ancillary businesses.

The mayor has described the initiative as "wonderful news for the present and the future" of Vélez-Málaga and the whole of the Axarquía area. Lupiáñez has stated that the town hall should facilitate investments that can improve the services on offer, boost the local economy and create new job opportunities.

He also emphasised that the future private hospital "is not a substitute for the public health service", but is intended to complement existing healthcare. According to him, this will broaden the options available to residents, bring specialist consultations and diagnostic tests closer to home and spare some patients the need to travel to Malaga city.

Chief executive of HM Hospitales Alejandro Abarca explained that the centre will also have a university-affiliated status. "It represents much more than just a new healthcare facility," he siad.

The initiative has come through a lengthy planning process. On 26 February, the full local ruling team unanimously gave final approval to the development plan to build the hospital. The process had taken over a year and involved obtaining sector-specific reports on, among other matters, environmental impact, noise and accessibility.

The facility will be built in an area considered strategic due to its proximity to the main access routes and its links to the various areas of Vélez-Málaga, the population of which significantly grows during peak tourist months. A scale model of the building will be on display over the next few days in the patio of Vélez-Málaga town hall.

Review public health, medical care and clinical news