At Playa de Las Canteras in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria the Sociedad Española de Medicina de Familia y Comunitaria held a large-scale beach exercise on 6 November 2026 to provide care for new arrivals by sea. The demonstration was part of the XLVI Congress of the semFYC and was intended to demonstrate realistic procedures for incidents involving multiple casualties.
The scenario simulated a boat that had set off from Dakhla with deaths during the crossing and a landing in Canarias. On site, Polizei, emergency teams and professionals from the Servicio Canario de Salud took charge of the situation. The exercise covered registration, triage, treatment of acute health problems and referral to further services. A key focus was coordination between the services and comprehensive record-keeping, to minimise potential errors between initial contact on the beach and routine care.
According to the organisers, the exercise highlighted the demands that Atlantic arrivals place on primary care. Professionals stressed that, alongside medical protocols, sufficient staff, interpreting and trained, non-discriminatory communication are also needed. The aim is to provide rapid, dignified assistance that identifies health risks early and prevents further harm.
Afterwards, semFYC drew attention to capacity constraints at ports and coastal facilities and called for additional resources for initial reception, transport and diagnostics. The association emphasised that exercises in a real-world setting help to clarify procedures between emergency services, the police and the Sistema Nacional de Salud The congress also offered training in prevention, practical triage and care for common health problems following long sea journeys.
The organisers place the exercise in the context of sustained migration pressure on the Atlantic route. It was not intended as a political statement, but as a practical contribution to operational readiness. No claims were made about causes, choice of route or future arrival numbers; the focus was instead on adapting care pathways. The authorities are now expected to incorporate the lessons learned into operational plans, to shorten response times and standardise cooperation between the institutions involved.
The public beach setting made it possible to demonstrate procedures transparently without disrupting real operations. According to semFYC, further practical formats are planned to link coastal first aid even more closely with the capacity of routine services in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and beyond.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).