Spanish Communities Protest Over Health Center Closures and Delays Amid Accessibility Concerns
Communities in Granada and Alicante protest health center closures and long delays, demanding urgent solutions for accessible care.
- • Residents of Granada's Albaicín protest closing of Fortuny-Velutti health center impacting 8,000 locals.
- • Closure forces patients to use an already overwhelmed facility lacking transport accessibility.
- • In Alicante, residents demand action on a decade-delayed Playa de San Juan health center project.
- • Government officials assure the health center remains a priority with construction planned soon.
Key details
Residents in two Spanish regions have raised their voices against health service challenges affecting their communities, spotlighting issues from closures to decade-long project delays.
In Granada's Bajo Albaicín neighborhood, over 8,000 residents protested the impending closure of the Fortuny-Velutti health center, which has operated for 32 years. The closure forces patients to relocate to the already saturated Gran Capitán center, raising significant concerns for elderly and disabled individuals due to limited public transport access. Paz Martínez, spokesperson for the citizen platform Albayzín Habitable, emphasized the detrimental impact this will have on chronic patients and venerated community health provisions. Protesters argued this closure contributes to neighborhood depopulation and favors tourism and real estate speculation over resident well-being. A manifesto criticized the Junta de Andalucía for prioritizing economic interests and demanded viable solutions to keep the essential facility operational.
Meanwhile, in Playa de San Juan, Alicante, residents expressed frustrations over the unbuilt health center project after more than a decade of promises. The Asociación de Vecinos Juntos Avanzamos highlighted the inadequacy of current facilities, which suffer from issues like dampness and force patients, including vulnerable groups, to wait outside in poor conditions. A meeting with Consell officials, including President Juanfran Pérez Llorca and Health Minister Marciano Gómez, reassured residents that the project remains a strategic priority. The future Centro de Salud de La Condomina is planned to serve 32,000 people with multiple medical specialties and is slated for licensing by January 2026, with construction commencing in summer.
These protests and demands underline a broader struggle within Spanish communities to secure accessible, quality healthcare infrastructure amid changing urban dynamics and administrative delays. They highlight public calls for government accountability and urgent action to preserve and develop essential local health services.
This article was translated and synthesized from Spanish sources, providing English-speaking readers with local perspectives.
