Canary Islands doctors demand lasting migrant care
Canary Islands, Spain: Migrants need healthcare after their first emergency check, doctors warn on Thursday, 5 November 2026. The Spanish Society of Family and Community Medicine wants people who arrive irregularly to enter the regular health system so treatment and follow-up can continue.
An emergency check is only the start
The call comes from the society’s congress in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, in the Canary Islands. Doctors say each person needs an individual assessment of their physical and mental health. Neither nationality nor migration status should stand in for a diagnosis.
Arrivals can cluster in short periods and require extra medical resources. The Canary Society of Family and Community Medicine points to arrivals in the last week of October, particularly on the island of El Hierro. Its president, Gustavo Moreno, says the pressure on health services also depends on people’s medical needs and the resources available on each island.
Care must continue after reception
Health needs do not end when someone leaves their first reception centre or moves to different accommodation, Moreno says. He wants people to have access to primary care so they can continue treatment and receive follow-up for physical or emotional health problems.
To keep that care going, medical teams need ways to share relevant records and coordinate referrals, he says. They also need interpreters, intercultural mediators, time and training to meet each patient’s needs.
Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com