Else Beekman
Ibiza’s thriving nightlife with it’s mega-clubs is placing unprecedented pressure on the island’s already fragile emergency health services. Public ambulance staff report a system on the brink of collapse, with a quarter of all daily callouts linked to large leisure venues catering to tourists.
Despite generating billions of euros annually, almost all major clubs—including Amnesia, Ushuaïa, Hï, Es Paradís and the new “hyperclub” UNVRS, which alone can host up to 10,000 revellers—depend entirely on the overstretched public ambulance network. Only DC10 maintains a private contract to cover its emergencies.
José Manuel Maroto, president of the Union of Health Technicians (USAE), described the situation as untenable.
“It is inconceivable that companies earning billions cannot fund their own ambulance cover, leaving residents to foot the bill,” he said.
During the tourist season, Ibiza’s population swells dramatically, last year attracting over 3.6 million visitors. Public ambulances routinely handle emergencies involving substance abuse, often requiring the immobilisation of intoxicated clubbers. Maroto stressed that these incidents are not only complex but also dangerous, with crews facing frequent aggression.
Meanwhile, calls unrelated to nightlife—such as heart attacks or paediatric emergencies—endure dangerous delays. A recent incident saw a paediatrician record that a child’s condition deteriorated due to extreme heat inside an ambulance.
Vehicles and crews stretched beyond limits
The service operates with only three Advanced Life Support ambulances and six Basic Life Support units around the clock. Conditions are deteriorating rapidly: several vehicles have broken air conditioning and must function in temperatures exceeding 40ºC.
“We will have to stop ambulances because some are simply unfit to work in,” Maroto warned.
Even outside peak season, the municipality of Sant Joan has ambulance cover for only 12 hours daily, requiring backup from other towns. Crews are also running dangerously low on staff. In June alone, technicians logged more than 2,300 hours of overtime simply to keep ambulances on the roads.
“The balance is breaking down. We are exhausted, both physically and mentally,” said Maroto.
Despite repeated calls for urgent action, the Conselleria de Salud balear has offered little reassurance beyond stating that a new ambulance contract will come into force in September—too late to alleviate the current crisis.
The USAE continues to demand that Ibiza’s major entertainment venues fund their own dedicated ambulance services, relieving pressure on a public system that locals pay for—and increasingly struggle to access.
Source: ElDiario.es
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