Por Pablo Arranz 
The Conselleria de Sanidad of the Generalitat Valenciana plans to put the new Health Center of Rincón de Loix into operation before the end of this year to improve the quality of healthcare for thousands of residents and visitors. The Mayor of Benidorm, Toni Pérez, visited the works on Monday alongside the President of the Generalitat, Carlos Mazón, and the Conseller Marciano Gómez, in a visit that also included other councilors of the municipal Corporation; a broad representation of healthcare personnel, led by the Department’s manager, Pascual Pastor; as well as residents of the neighborhood, the future users of this health center.
Toni Pérez recalled that the City Council definitively ceded the land on which this outpatient clinic is located, a plot of 3,558 square meters located on Zamora Street, next to the Antonio López Football Fields, «in 2017, after nearly 40 years of collaboration, first with the Ministry of Health and then with the Conselleria, so that Rincón de Loix could have an initial clinic for displaced persons and later to serve thousands of people, thanks to the subsequent municipal expansions.» The mayor emphasized «Rincón is a very important residential area» and that, «after many years of demand, it will finally have a health center that this neighborhood deserves.»
The mayor also referred to the construction of this health center, with a project devised by the previous regional government that «did not listen to anyone.» Thus, he recalled, «unfortunately, this center was born on a large plot but without planning a parking lot, despite the demands of the City Council and the Staff Board of the health area. And also without a gym for physiotherapy and rehabilitation.» On this point, Pérez insisted that «fortunately, since 2023, with the government of Carlos Mazón in the Generalitat, we began to be heard, at least partially. Because at the moment we could be heard – he continued – the parking lot issue was already unsolvable, but something else that was also basic was addressed, like incorporating that rehabilitation gym», completing «the new areas of Pediatrics, maternity, consultations, which make it a very updated health center and in line with these times.»
«Today we have taken a step towards a new stage: completing the work and starting the daily work in a health center that is avant-garde, very innovative in healthcare, and that will allow Benidorm to have a healthcare facility in Rincón de Loix at the level that this neighborhood deserves,» added the mayor. To conclude, Toni Pérez reaffirmed the «total collaboration of the City Council, as before, so that as soon as possible all the staff and healthcare activities can be relocated here,» after which «we will take on another challenge, from municipal action, so that Rincón de Loix can enjoy new spaces in the facilities that housed the clinic until now and whose use, after almost four decades, we will finally recover,» he concluded.
More than 22,000 health cards
For his part, the Health Conseller also stated that today was «a day of satisfaction to come and visit a work that will allow, finally, the residents of Rincón de Loix to soon have healthcare facilities as they deserved.» The Conseller recalled that this health center has assigned «around 22,000 health cards»; specifically, 20,500 registered citizens in addition to another 2,550 without an assigned doctor, to which are added the thousands of tourists who stay in the numerous hotels and tourist apartments in this area and require healthcare during their stay.
The Conseller recalled that the Generalitat has invested around 5.5 million euros in these works and explained that their completion is expected in a little over a month. From there, the installation of the equipment will begin and, subsequently, the transfer of activity from the old clinic to the new facilities, so that the start of operations will take place at the end of the year, with a modern, functional health center equipped with a wide range of services.»
Specifically, the building consists of around 2,700 square meters where 18 primary care consultations have been enabled, 12 of which will be for Family Medicine, six for Nursing, and one multipurpose. In addition, there is a Pediatrics area with two medical consultations and one nursing consultation, along with spaces for extractions, social work, women’s health, and childbirth preparation.
Marciano Gómez also detailed that this new center will have continuous care for emergencies, «completely innovative,» equipped with three observation boxes and one for critical cases, along with rooms to attend to basic patients plus an area for ambulance parking.
Finally, he noted that this facility «will also have a rehabilitation and physiotherapy gym for the residents of this area,» which was not included in the initial project, resulting in the works taking a few more months than initially planned and increasing the center’s area by around 275 square meters. On this matter, the Health Conseller recalled that «until now, every year 3,400 patients had to travel to La Cala to receive rehabilitation and physiotherapy sessions, and now they will be attended to at their health center, thus improving their quality of life.»
The President of the Generalitat, Carlos Mazón, who discussed these works and proposals and needs with residents, healthcare personnel, and municipal representatives, reiterated «the commitment of the Consell to quality public healthcare» and in this regard highlighted «the 8% increase in the budget of the Conselleria de Sanitat for 2025, which at 9,186 million euros is the highest in history in the Valencian Community.