First day of healthcare activity at the new Obispo Polanco University Hospital in Teruel

Outpatient consultations have begun for Rheumatology, Endocrinology, Rehabilitation and Radiation Oncology

The new Obispo Polanco University Hospital in Teruel began its healthcare services today, September 1st, with the opening of its first outpatient clinics in its new facilities. The opening of the hospital, located in El Planizar, will be phased in, following a similar model to that used in the new Alcañiz Hospital, with the aim of ensuring the quality of care and the safety of patients and staff throughout the relocation and commissioning process.

The Director of Hospital Care of the Aragonese Health Service, Sara Guillén, and the manager of the Teruel Health Sector, Pedro Eced, visited the facilities today along with the professionals involved in this first phase, which includes outpatient consultations for Rehabilitation, Endocrinology, Rheumatology and Radiotherapy Oncology.

During this initial period, all consultations will be located in the same area on the hospital's ground floor. This temporary arrangement is based on operational criteria and will facilitate accessibility and wayfinding for both patients and staff. Patient access will be through the Rehabilitation entrance.

“Today is a very important day for healthcare in Teruel. The start of clinical activity at the new Obispo Polanco University Hospital marks the beginning of a new stage in a long-awaited project that will improve healthcare for the citizens of the province,” Sara Guillén emphasized. The Director of Hospital Care also expressed her gratitude for “the effort, commitment, and professionalism of all the healthcare and non-healthcare professionals, technical and maintenance teams, and those responsible for planning the relocation who have worked for months to make this first step possible and who continue working throughout the entire relocation process.”

The four specialties now beginning operations will see approximately 260 patients per week. Over the next few months, four more specialties—Traumatology, Dermatology, General Surgery, and Internal Medicine—will be added in stages, along with their respective staff.

Advances in the implementation of Radiation Oncology

The start of the Radiotherapy Oncology activity coincides with the reception by the Aragonese Health Service of the completed works of the radiotherapy bunker.

The implementation of the Radiation Oncology service at the new center will be carried out in phases. Following the opening today of the first follow-up appointments for patients who have already undergone treatment (replacing those previously held at the Obispo Polanco Hospital), the next step will be the commissioning of the planning CT scanner, essential equipment for precisely designing each patient's radiation therapy treatments.

The full implementation of this specialty will come with the commissioning of the linear electron accelerator, scheduled for the first quarter of 2027. The necessary procedures have already begun.

When the accelerator becomes operational, patients will be able to complete the entire radiotherapy care circuit in Teruel, avoiding trips to Zaragoza.

Upgraded equipment for the new gym

The Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Service is another of the first to begin operations in the new hospital. In addition to outpatient consultations, the new rehabilitation gym, with independent street access and adapted for people with reduced mobility, is also being opened.

The facilities, which occupy an area of ​​961 square meters, incorporate spaces and equipment that represent an improvement over the current hospital, such as specific rooms for pelvic floor treatments, lymphedema, pressotherapy, magnetotherapy, electrotherapy and occupational therapy.

The gym now also has a ceiling lift for the rehabilitation of patients with reduced mobility, as well as new therapeutic and exercise equipment designed to improve the service's capacity to provide care. While the relocation process continues, some treatments will continue to be carried out at the current facilities.

For their part, Endocrinology and Rheumatology begin their activity in the new center with one consultation per specialty.

The new Obispo Polanco University Hospital triples the surface area of ​​the current center, going from 21.000 to 64.000 square meters, and increases the number of hospital beds by 13%, from 205 to 232.

Of these, 32 are single rooms, more than double the current number. This capacity will be increased in the future by the 54 single rooms planned for the new module currently under construction.

The new hospital will transform healthcare in Teruel. The new infrastructure not only involves relocating services from the current hospital, but also incorporates new healthcare services, new spaces and equipment, technological improvements, and specific accessibility measures.

Source: health DepartmentGovernment of Aragon