Demands for new Mijas and Fuengirola hospital, before the Costa del Sol is 'saturated'

For years now, health professionals have raised concerns over the Las Lagunas health centre (which covers Mijas and Fuengirola) and its inability to cope in the summer months and with the rise in the number of people living in the area.

The Medical Union of Malaga (SMM) has demanded a series of measures for the health district of the Costa del Sol, including building a hospital for these two towns (together there are 180,000 inhabitants split between them) in addition to the resignation of the current managers.

Four months ago, the Medical Union assessed the staffing of the hospital. It was reported that it was «urgently» necessary to increase the workforce given the enormous «saturation» that the district suffers. According to the SMM; a situation that is increased «enormously» during certain seasons.

The Union gives the Las Lagunas health centre as an example, the only one in the Fuengirola-Mijas area, which covers a registered population of approximately 147,000 people, which means one doctor for every 7,350 users. In contrast, San Miguel covers a population of about 64,000; meaning, one doctor for every 4,580 users.

The union stressed that the Fuengirola-Mijas area has required a well-equipped emergency centre for years, both in terms of resources and personnel. «It is a true emergency that our district has not been able to manage adequately and coherently… everything is left for tomorrow», the union said.

It was not all negative, however. The new Ricardo Soriano health centre in Marbella, which is under construction, and the beginning of the works of the health centre of Los Pacos; were highlighted as positive steps in the right direction. Despite these, the union went on to say, «Unfortunately, we have health centres with expansion projects for years, such as Carihuela, San Miguel, Boliches, Fuengirola Oeste… in which the works have not yet been tendered. That is why the creation of the Fuengirola-Mijas hospital, which we have been hearing about for decades, is of special importance».

The SMM considers that the Costa del Sol health district also shows a «lack of transparency and neglect» of many of its functions and took the opportunity to request, on behalf of the Malaga Medical Union, the resignation of the management of the Costa del Sol health district and of those responsible for the Andalusian health service (SAS), whom they accuse of being «accomplices» of this situation.