MALAGA’s third hospital is set to be a giant in every sense of the word.
The €543 million colossus, officially named Hospital Virgen de la Esperanza, is the biggest civil works project currently on the books in Andalucia – and, once finished, it will also be the largest hospital in the region.
Construction is due to start within weeks beside the Hospital Civil, Junta president Juanma Moreno said on Tuesday, with the build expected to take between four and five years.
Planned as a cluster of 15-storey blocks – 12 of them towering above ground – the vast development will rise like a vertical city of medicine on the edge of central Malaga.
A huge shared base will anchor the site and form the operational heart of the hospital.
Inside, there will be 815 patient rooms and an emergency department built for the relentless pressure of a booming coastal population.
That means 31 medical consultation rooms, eight nursing rooms and 61 observation beds just in A&E.
The most critical cases are covered too, with 80 intensive care beds ready for life-or-death situations.
Surgeons will have a powerhouse surgical wing with 48 operating theatres at their disposal.
Entire sections of the hospital will be devoted to specialist medicine, with 158 rooms for different disciplines and 38 more for nursing care.
There will even be dedicated space for teaching and research, turning the complex into a centre for training future healthcare professionals as well as treating patients.
But designers have not forgotten the human touch.
Landscaped courtyards will flood parts of the hospital with natural light, softening what could otherwise feel like an overwhelming medical machine.
Above the base, four hospital towers will climb into the skyline, separated by a hidden technical floor that keeps all the behind-the-scenes systems running smoothly.
Lifts and corridors are being carefully planned so patients, staff and supplies move separately – a crucial detail in a hospital of this scale.
The contract for the work has now been awarded to a joint venture of major Spanish builders – Sando, OHLA and Vialterra – which will construct both the hospital and its associated facilities over roughly 75 months.
The scale of the project is such that planners expect it to reshape the surrounding area too, with the complex likely to have its own dedicated metro stop, turning it into a new focal point on the city’s transport map.
Moreno said the hospital’s name reflects the strong emotional connection many malagueños feel between the ‘idea of hope and the healing environment of a hospital.’
The decision, he added, came after confirming there was widespread backing across Malaga society.
For many locals, the link feels natural. The Virgen de la Esperanza is one of Malaga’s most beloved Semana Santa figures, and a symbol long associated with comfort in times of illness and hardship.
Malaga mayor Francisco de la Torre has also thrown his weight behind the choice.
He said the dedication carried deep meaning for much of the population, and that the word ‘Esperanza’ fit a hospital in an exceptionally appropriate way.
The idea has also drawn support from famous malagueños, including actor Antonio Banderas.
But not everyone is cheering for Malaga’s new mega-hospital.
Critics say that building the city’s largest hospital will not solve the deeper problems in the local healthcare system – such as long surgical wait lists and overcrowded emergency departments.
Some doctors have also warned that without enough staff, even a state-of-the-art building could struggle to function at full capacity.
And there is also the question of past delays and administrative hurdles.
The project was first proposed years ago, but tendering and planning setbacks repeatedly pushed back the timeline.
While there is broad support for the hospital itself, these concerns underscore a simple reality: a shiny new building is only part of the solution.
For now, locals are left hoping that the investment in infrastructure is matched by equal investment in people.
But either way, Moreno said the first stone is set to be laid in the coming weeks.
“And I am sure this hospital is going to bring a lot of hope to the residents of Malaga,” he added.
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