New Hospital in Felanitx: Opportunity for the Llevant — but Questions Remain

A new hospital in Felanitx: Much hope, clear questions

The news sounded good on a mild morning in Felanitx: €26 million are to be invested in a new medical facility to care for chronically ill patients from the Llevant. In the squares you can hear the church bells, the ice cream machine at Plaça del Quarter rattles, and people are discussing — rightly so. The central question is: Is this project the best response to the healthcare needs of an ageing region, or does much remain shrouded in the fog of planning?

Why the hospital is deemed necessary

The numbers are clear: the Llevant, with towns like Manacor, Santanyí, Son Servera and of course Felanitx, serves around 140,000 people. A high share of them are over 65. The government argues that specialized beds and care capacities for chronically ill patients are lacking and that outpatient structures alone are not sufficient. The planned facility with about 100 single rooms focuses on privacy and specialized comfort — a noticeable difference to traditional multi-bed wards.

What often gets overlooked in the public debate

Many welcome the investment, but there are aspects that receive little attention: Who will provide the staff? How will transport and accessibility be organised for elderly people without a car? How will the new facility fit into the existing network of health centres, general practitioners and the hospital in Manacor? And not least: how sustainable is the financing after the construction phase?

Without adequate nursing and medical staff, a new building risks becoming a beautiful but empty house. On the streets of Felanitx one often hears that young nurses come to the islands, but attachment to the workplace is missing — commuting, shift work and the cost of living are real hurdles.

Risks and potential impacts

A larger centre can bring benefits but also displacement effects: will existing outpatient clinics and smaller hospitals be drained because patients are directed to the new facility? Or will a network emerge that strengthens care and rehabilitation? In addition, construction projects in Mallorca are not immune to delays — from permits to supply bottlenecks. A 20-month construction schedule sounds ambitious; previous projects on the island have shown that deadlines are often postponed.

Concrete proposals instead of vague promises

If the Balearic government truly wants a sustainable solution, it needs more than concrete and room numbers. A few concrete ideas from the region:

1. Staffing initiative: Create targeted training places, scholarships and housing offers for nursing staff to achieve long-term ties to the island.

2. Networking instead of competition: Clear cooperation agreements with the hospital in Manacor, local health centres and rehabilitation facilities so that patient routing and lengths of stay are sensibly regulated.

3. Mobility for patients: A shuttle system and cooperation with municipal transport services so that elderly people from Santanyí or Son Servera can attend appointments without barriers.

4. Telemedicine and day clinics: Not all chronic cases need inpatient beds — outpatient programmes, telemedicine and day treatments can reduce costs and improve quality of life.

5. Transparency and citizen participation: A publicly accessible construction and financing plan and local advisory boards in which residents, care staff and doctors can have a say.

What needs special attention on the island

Mallorca is not Madrid: island climate, seasonal staff fluctuations, narrow roads and scattered settlements change the requirements for a hospital. If you listen to the wind in the morning at the port of Porto Colom or smell the pines on the way to Son Servera, you realise: solutions must be thought locally. A modern building only helps if it becomes part of a network that strengthens mobility, prevention and home care.

Looking ahead

The planned start of construction by the end of the year and a possible opening in early 2027 are realistic goals — provided planning, tenders and staff recruitment go hand in hand. For the people in the Llevant a well-functioning centre would be a real gain: fewer trips to Manacor, more specialised aftercare and more peace in private rooms. But public trust depends on the authorities providing concrete answers now — not only once the diggers start rolling.

What do you think? Is the hospital overdue, or should other priorities such as outpatient care or staff development take precedence? The discussion in the cafés of Felanitx has only just begun.