Health Care in Tenerife

Healthcare in Tenerife forms part of the overall European united system. Its administration is the sole responsibility of the Servicio Canario de Salud, under the control of the Government of the Canary Islands. Under this governing body, there are subsidiary governmental bodies for each of the seven islands.

The policy these days, is that any European citizen should be entitled to free healthcare in the Canaries, regardless of cost or length of treatment.

It has been quite well known, in the past, that European holidaymakers should obtain a copy of form E111 before they travel, to insure them against any required medical assistance during their holiday. Now, however, this has been superseded by the European Healthcare Card. If you don’t have this card and you fall ill, don’t panic; the assertion is that no-one will be refused healthcare, if they need it, regardless of what documentation they have.

Some holidaymakers also take out travel insurance, which covers any health issues, but, if you actually live in the country, you either have to pay Social Security, which entitles you to free health and hospital care, or have permanent health insurance (in other words, go private). Otherwise, if you are admitted to a hospital, you end up paying through the nose.

For those people who are legally resident, have an NIE number and are employed, paying their social security monthly fees will entitle them to free medical treatment, so it is worth going through all the proper channels. Details of how to do this can be found elsewhere on this site. (The downside to this is that, to enjoy this free treatment, you have to go to a National Health doctor or dentist, who is unlikely to speak English.)

Health Care In Tenerife

The Spanish Health Service is considered to be better than the UK, whether you pay privately or are entitled to free care under the Spanish National Health Service, but registering at the local Centro de Salud (Health Centre) is one area of relocating that can often get overlooked.
Once you are employed or self employed and paying social security, you and your dependants living with you will be entitled to health care under the Spanish National Health System. This is another area where having the services of a Gestor at your disposal gets the job done properly, so there are no nasty surprises when you or your family need treatment.

Doctors

English Doctors
There are quite a few English, or English speaking, doctors and health centres on Tenerife. If you have social security, you can visit a doctor, for a discounted fee, but, without this, the receptionist will present you with the full bill at the end of your visit.

German Doctors
As there is a large German presence on the island, there are quite a few doctors of this nationality.

Dentist

Understandably, if you’re English, or English speaking, you’d probably prefer to visit an English, or English speaking dentist, should you need treatment.
I have to say, however, that I’ve had occasion, during my stint living on Tenerife, to visit a couple of dentists, both of which were Spanish or Canarian and they could speak excellent English and their treatment of me was exemplary.

Pharmacies

There’s a possibility that you might need to visit a chemist, or pharmacy, for medication of some sort. Tenerife pharmacies are distinguished by a neon-lit green cross and are numerous, dotted around the island.
From my own experience, Tenerife pharmacies are staffed by helpful, friendly people, who, usually, can speak passable English and will not only deal with any prescription you may have, but will advise you on any medication needed for various ailments.
Here are a few that are open 24/7:
•Near Sky Park, above the supermarket outside Parque Royal, Las Americas
•Opposite CC San Eugenio, Torviscas
•Oppostite Starco, Las Americas
•Tenerife Sur Airport
•Near Pleasure Island, Las Americas

Operating seven days a week:
•Next to Ofipapel, Los Cristianos – open till 8pm, Sundays till 4pm
•Los Cristianos harbour – the same opening times

Health Care centres

Body & Soul

Avenida Príncipe de España – Edificio Tama – Centro Comercial – El Medano
Tel.: 679 914 214

(Thaï Chi – Qigong – Kung Fu Shaolin for children’s and adults- Jade Yoga – Jade and Crystal Massage- Foot reflexology “Radionik” (Quantum Medicine) Analysis of: Aura – Organs – Meridians EQUILIBRIUM – CLEANING – PROTECTION) www.bodyandsoul.com.es

Costa Adeje Hospital

Urb. San Eugenio. Edif Garajonay, s/n. 38660 Adeje
Tel.: 922 752 626
Fax: 922 753 636

Costa Adeje Hospital S.L., is a society made up of 100 % canarian capital, that manages the Hospital and the network of Southern Medical Centres. It was the first in the southern part of the island to offer private medical assistance, and is a modern centre with 100 hospital beds.
Services offered:
• It has 100 hospital beds available
• Costa Adeje Hospital offers 21 medical specialties
• It manages three Southern Medical Centres
• It offers home medical service in all of Tenerife featuring a free telephone number: 900 112 111

Hospiten 

C/ Pescadores, s/n. Edf. Discovery, Carretera Gral. La Cuesta. Taco 38108

La Laguna
Tel.: 922 626240 Fax: 922 614355

Hospiten is a privately owned healthcare network featuring over 1.000 hospital beds, with centres in Spain, the Dominican Republic and Mexico. More than 2.000 professionals make up the human team of this group, every one of them fully engaged with offering high level health care, treating over 400.000 patients a year.

Hospiten has four health care centres in Tenerife, which are:

• HOSPITEN BELLEVUE
Located in Puerto de la Cruz, is has the available necessary services for an excellent healthcare quality in the diagnosis and treatment of all medical and surgical specialties. Featuring 197 hospital beds, four operating rooms, an intensive care unit (UCI), day hospital, out patient services, emergency ward, Biopathology laboratory, scanner and Radiology.

Address: C/ Alemania, 6. Urb. San Fernando. 38400 Puerto de la Cruz – Tenerife.
Tel.: 922 38 35 51. Fax: 922 37 03 12
bellevue@hospiten.es

• HOSPITEN TAMARAGUA
Founded in 1980 in Puerto de la Cruz, is has all the available services that are necessary for offering its patients an excellent healthcare quality. It has 105 hospital beds, seven of which are in a short stay unit (Day hospital), six beds in the intensive care unit (UCI), three operating rooms (one of them ambulatory), two birthing wards and two beds in the Dilation area; as well as a haemodialysis club with 35 beds, three incubators, out patient services, emergency ward, Biopathology laboratory and Radiology.
Address: C/.Agustín de Bethencourt, 30. 38400 Puerto de la Cruz–Tenerife.
Tel.: 922 38 05 12. Fax: 922 38 08 50
tamaragua@hospiten.es

• HOSPITEN SUR
It was opened in 1984 with the aim of offering the best health care service, both to tourists that visit the island and to its inhabitants. It has a total of 230 hospital beds, four operating rooms, an intensive care unit (UCI) and a Haemodynamics room, with Surgical Cardiology and Radiology specialties.
Address: Playa de Las Américas. 38660 Arona-Tenerife.
Tel.: 922 75 00 22. Fax: 922 79 36 18
clisur@hospiten.es

• HOSPITEN RAMBLA

Opened in 1995 as the most modern Hospital of the Hospiten network in Tenerife. It features all the facilities and high technology equipment available today, as well as cutting edge specialties such as Heart Surgery, Neurosurgery, Cardiology and Surgical Angiology, among others that are a novelty such as Minimum Access Surgery.

There are also 87 hospital beds available, five operating rooms and a birthing ward. It features an intensive care unit (UCI), high medical technology (Magnetic Resonance Imaging), Nuclear Medicine, outpatient services, emergency ward, Biopathology laboratory, volumetric helicoidal scanner and Radiology.

It has new services available in the Laboratory department, such as Cytology and Cytogenetic Microbiology.

Address: Rambla General Franco, 115. 38001 Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
Tel.: 922 29 16 00. Fax: 922 29 10 88
rambla@hospiten.es