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Orihuela seeks fast-track powers to build desperately needed coastal medical centre
The City Council wants to bypass regional bureaucracy to speed up construction of second Orihuela Costa health centre
Orihuela City Council is asking the regional government to hand over direct control of building a second health centre on the coast, arguing it's the only way to get the desperately needed facility built quickly enough.
The existing health centre in Orihuela Costa is completely overwhelmed. Built in 2004 for a much smaller population, it now serves more than 28,000 patients, far exceeding what it was designed to handle. According to the regional health ministry's own operational plan, the current infrastructure will be completely unable to meet demand within five years.
Rather than waiting for the regional government to manage the project through its usual lengthy administrative processes, Orihuela Council wants permission to take charge itself. The regional government would still provide the funding, estimated at around €8 million plus professional fees, but the local council would handle the tendering and construction directly.
Mayor Pepe Vegara announced the plan alongside councillors for Health, Urban Planning and the Coast. He described it as a decisive step towards making the second health centre a reality and promised the project would be at the top of the municipal agenda.
The council has already identified a 12,000 square metre plot in the Villa Rosa area (sector H-1) where the new centre would be built. The facility itself would cover more than 3,000 square metres and house family medicine services, paediatrics, nursing, emergency care and other healthcare facilities.
If the regional government approves the delegation of powers at December's plenary session, the timeline looks relatively swift. The council estimates it could put the project design out to tender within six months of receiving approval, with construction work taking approximately 24 months.
Regional regulations stipulate a maximum period of five years for the entire process.
Irene Celdrán, Councillor for Health, said the move represents a crucial step forward for a facility that coastal residents have been demanding for years.
"The new centre will relieve pressure on the current facility and offer faster, more accessible and more efficient care," she said.
Manuel Mestre, Councillor for the Coast, stressed that the progress responds to a long-standing demand from residents and demonstrates serious commitment from the government team.
Technical and legal reports have warned about the saturation of the current centre, which simply cannot cope with the population growth the area has experienced over the past two decades. The health ministry's own analysis confirms that without additional infrastructure, it will be impossible to meet future healthcare demand in Orihuela Costa.
Mayor Vegara called the announcement "a day of celebration for the coast and the entire municipality," emphasising the urgency of providing adequate healthcare facilities for the growing coastal population.
The proposal essentially asks the regional government to trust the local council to get the job done faster while still providing the necessary funding, cutting through bureaucratic delays that could otherwise see residents waiting years longer for desperately needed healthcare facilities.
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