Hospitals in Lanzarote

The hospital in Lanzarote

Hospital Dr. José Molina Orosa — the island's only public hospital

Hospital Universitario Dr. José Molina Orosa is the only hospital in Lanzarote with a full emergency department (Urgencias) open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It is located in Arrecife, on the Carretera Arrecife–San Bartolomé, roughly two kilometres from the town centre. The hospital operates triage on arrival: life-threatening cases are seen immediately; less urgent cases wait according to severity.

Departments include emergency medicine, surgery, gynaecology and maternity, paediatrics, orthopaedics, ICU, dialysis, psychiatry, and a radiology unit with CT, MRI and X-ray. For highly specialised procedures — complex cardiac surgery, oncology — patients are transferred to Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, which is standard practice for smaller Canary Islands.

GHIC and EHIC — what's covered

Your UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) or EU EHIC is accepted at Hospital Molina Orosa for medically necessary treatment, at the same level as Spanish residents. This covers emergency care, inpatient admission and necessary investigations. What it does not cover:

• Treatment at private facilities (Hospiten, private clinics)
• Repatriation to the UK or your home country
• Treatment you planned specifically for your trip

Travel insurance fills these gaps. If you have neither a GHIC nor travel insurance, you will receive a bill after treatment — costs for an inpatient stay without insurance can reach €500–2,000+ per day. A travel insurance policy for €2–5 per day is considerably cheaper.

What to bring to hospital

Always bring: your GHIC/EHIC card, passport or ID, travel insurance details (policy number and emergency phone), a list of current medications, and any relevant test results or diagnoses ideally in English or Spanish. When you are discharged, request the Informe de Alta (discharge summary) — without this document many insurers will not reimburse costs.

No hospital in the resorts — only in Arrecife

There is no hospital in Puerto del Carmen, Costa Teguise or Playa Blanca. Arrecife is the island's only hospital location. Journey times: Puerto del Carmen ~15 minutes, Costa Teguise ~10 minutes, Playa Blanca ~50 minutes. For situations that need hospital care, call 112 — the ambulance service covers the whole island, and response times in the main resorts are typically under 15 minutes.

Ambulance and helicopter

The public emergency service (Servicio de Urgencias Canario, SUC) is coordinated through 112. In the main tourist resorts, an ambulance typically arrives within 10 minutes. In remote areas — northern Lanzarote, La Geria, El Golfo — allow more time. A medical helicopter is available for serious cases and inter-island transfers. GHIC covers ambulance transport for medically necessary care; without it, costs are substantial and travel insurance covers the difference.

Hospiten — the private hospital

Hospiten Lanzarote is part of the Canary Islands Hospiten group, one of the largest private hospital providers in the archipelago. It has its own emergency unit, inpatient beds and specialists in cardiology, surgery, orthopaedics and gynaecology. For tourists with travel insurance, Hospiten is often recommended by insurance helplines — shorter waits than the public hospital and direct billing to most European insurers. Unlike walk-in private clinics (EuroKlinik, Clínica Dr. Mager), Hospiten can admit patients overnight.

Frequently asked questions

Is there only one hospital in Lanzarote?

One public hospital with full A&E: Hospital Dr. José Molina Orosa in Arrecife. Hospiten is a private hospital that can admit patients but has a different scope. Multiple private clinics across the island handle ambulatory (outpatient) care — see clinics in Lanzarote.

How long are A&E waiting times?

The public Urgencias operates on triage — a suspected heart attack is seen within minutes; a twisted ankle may wait hours. Private facilities (Hospiten, private clinics) have shorter waits and are often a better choice for non-life-threatening problems. For true emergencies, the public hospital is always the right call.

Does the hospital speak English?

Medical staff speak Spanish as their primary language; English varies by individual. The Urgencias is experienced with international patients and will manage even without shared language. For German or English-speaking patients with non-emergency needs, private clinics like EuroKlinik or British Surgery are more comfortable.