Social entities and trade unions have urged the Minister of Health of the Generalitat, Manel Balcells, to “go back” on the new primary care pediatric model, which includes the launch in 2024 of a total of 79 teams regional pediatric care centers (ETAP) with nurses and paediatricians, and to opt for a local service. They explained it yesterday in a press conference Recuperem Pediatrics in Turó de la Peira, COP La Canadenca, Casal Popular 3 Voltes Rebel, Commission for Public Health 100% of the Vallès Occidental, Catalan Primary Care Forum, Marea Blanca, the Federation of ‘Associations of Residents of Barcelona and the CGT and Som Intersindical unions. These organizations claim that the concentration in large centers does not guarantee a quality service to families, who in some cases will have to travel outside the municipality where they live. They also complain that professionals will lose direct contact with the territory and the children’s environment. According to his criteria, this new model represents another step in the “dismantling” of primary care in the public system.
From the family platform SOS Pediatria Sabadell, David Bergadà declared to this newspaper that the pediatric concentration model replicates what has been done for years in cities such as Sabadell, Lleida, Sant Feliu de Llobregat, Tortosa, Granollers… A Sabadell, adds, the change started with the pretext of covid and has been consolidated. “In the central-southern part of Sabadell they also wanted to do it, but we mobilized to avoid it”. Bergadà assures that it is in contact with other platforms to decide whether or not to undertake protest actions.
Other entities from smaller municipalities also complain that they have had to travel for some time to be attended to. Santa Margarida de Montbui has a three-hour round trip, they say. In this sense, Health sources have specified to La Vanguardia that the ETAP “will physically be in a CAP”, not in any other type of building, and that “some” will have the ability to move to serve in different geographical points.
