The Canary Islands Government has launched an unprecedented healthcare operation involving around 300 medical professionals ahead of the visit of Pope Leo XIV to the archipelago today and tomorrow.

The large-scale deployment, described as one of the biggest healthcare operations ever organised in the Canary Islands, has been designed to provide medical cover for the tens of thousands of people expected to attend events in Gran Canaria and Tenerife.

Three field hospitals and 100 emergency vehicles

The operation will be coordinated by the Servicio de Urgencias Canario (SUC) and will include around 100 emergency vehicles, three fully equipped field hospitals and a network of advanced medical posts along the Pope's route.

Two field hospitals will be installed at the Estadio de Gran Canaria, while a third will be set up inside the Recinto Ferial de Tenerife, where some of the largest gatherings are expected.

Additional emergency medical stations will operate in Arguineguín, Vegueta and San Cristóbal de La Laguna.

The emergency fleet will include advanced life-support ambulances, rapid response vehicles, logistics units and specialised coordination vehicles capable of transporting patients quickly to field hospitals or permanent medical facilities if required.

Medical centres reorganised

The scale of the visit has also forced the temporary reorganisation of services at 24 medical centres across both islands.

Today, Thursday, ten medical centres in Gran Canaria, including those in Arguineguín, Maspalomas, Triana and Tamaraceite, will operate under modified arrangements.

Tomorrow, Friday, similar measures will affect 14 medical centres in Tenerife, including facilities in La Laguna, La Cuesta, Taco, Ofra and Anaga.

Routine appointments have largely been switched to telephone consultations where possible, allowing staff to focus on urgent care and emergency response during the Pope's visit.

Specialists brought in from across the islands

The healthcare operation will bring together doctors, nurses, paramedics, logistics specialists, emergency coordinators and communications personnel from across the Canary Islands.

Medical teams from the Hospital Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe will travel to Tenerife to support the operation, while specialist paediatric teams, Spanish Red Cross volunteers and emergency nursing students will also be deployed.

A dedicated medical helicopter based at Gran Canaria Airport will be temporarily relocated to Arguineguín to allow rapid air evacuation of any critically ill patients from the south of the island.

Round-the-clock coordination

Emergency control rooms in both provinces will be reinforced with additional coordinators and resource managers working exclusively on the Pope's visit.

These teams will maintain constant communication with medical personnel on the ground while operating independently from the staff responsible for handling day-to-day emergency calls across the islands.

Officials say the extensive preparations are designed to ensure that both residents and visitors continue to receive immediate medical attention throughout what is expected to be one of the largest public events ever staged in the Canary Islands.