Doha – The Spanish Government has approved an emergency fund of €2.6 million to renovate the Spanish Hospital in Tangier, addressing critical structural issues in this historic healthcare facility that now serves as both a nursing home for Spanish nationals and a day healthcare center.
On January 14, the Council of Ministers formally acknowledged the emergency declaration issued last November regarding the hospital renovation, citing “the building’s very poor state of conservation, combined with the evident seismic risk in the city of Tangier,” according to official government documents.
The structure’s current condition “compromises user safety,” the council stated, and the renovation specifically focuses on the demolition of the south wing along with the implementation of additional safety measures.
This decision was made in compliance with Public Sector Contract Law, as the situation met the criteria for “situations that pose serious danger.”
Following approval from the State Attorney’s Office, the contract was awarded to GTS Electrónica SL on December 9, 2024, with an expected completion timeline of 18 months.
The facility, which was originally completed in 1950, has a rich history in Spanish-Moroccan relations.
Initially commissioned in 1939 by Juan Luis Beigbeder, then High Commissioner of Spain in Morocco, the hospital gained prominence in the region and notably served as the location where King Emeritus Juan Carlos I, then Prince of Asturias, underwent emergency appendix surgery in September 1954.
Engineer José Ochoa y Benjumea, who designed the complex, wrote about its origins in the Public Works Magazine in November 1942.
The project was conceived as a social welfare initiative in an area where Spain lacked such facilities, serving as an “effective means of propaganda,” according to Ochoa y Benjumea’s account.
In March 2024, the Spanish Ambassador to Morocco, Enrique Ojeda, visited the facility. During the visit, he recognized its significance as “an institution tied to the Spanish presence in this city that continues to perform essential healthcare work.”
The building’s function has evolved over time, adapting to the changing demographics of the Spanish population in the region.
In 1996, it was converted into a residential facility for the elderly, while maintaining its role in providing healthcare services through its day center operations.
The renovation project represents a continuation of ongoing Spanish-Moroccan cooperation in maintaining this historic institution.
The facility has also served as a cultural bridge, and has even hosted benefit concerts as part of the International Choral Singing Festival.
The renovation project will require a hefty price tag of €2,689,588 (VAT included), signaling Madrid’s continued engagement in supporting Spanish institutions and healthcare services in the northern Moroccan city.
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