A necessary change in stroke care
Medical care for patients with severe strokes in the provinces of Tarragona and Lleida is about to undergo a significant transformation. Starting this spring, the Department of Health has decided to extend the mechanical thrombectomy service to twelve hours a day, representing a crucial step towards equity in access to vital treatments.
Until now, hospitals in these regions offered limited hours for this essential procedure. In comparison, the cities of Barcelona and Girona have services available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This disparity has raised concerns about discrimination based on territorial grounds, prompting an investigation by the Síndic de Greuges.
The Joan XXIII hospital in Tarragona currently provides mechanical thrombectomy only during 12 hours a day, while the Arnau de Vilanova in Lleida operates with an even more restricted schedule. With this new measure, both hospitals will offer care every day of the year between 8:00 AM and 8:00 PM, thus increasing their annual coverage to 4,380 hours. However, during the night, patients will continue to be transferred to more distant centres such as Bellvitge or Vall d’Hebron.
In addition to the increase in service hours, both hospitals are expected to enhance their capacity with new beds dedicated to the treatment of severe strokes. Joan XXIII will add two additional beds and Arnau de Vilanova four more, raising their total to eight beds per centre.
Councillor Olga Pané has stated that this change is part of the Department's commitment to equity and quality in healthcare. “It is essential to ensure that everyone has access to treatments that can prevent disabilities and save lives,” declared Esther Giménez-Salinas, head of the Síndic.
Although it was initially deemed unfeasible to extend the service to 24 hours a day, it has been announced that both Arnau and Joan XXIII will reach this goal by the end of 2027. This advancement will not only significantly improve responses to medical emergencies but also ensure greater accessibility for the entire population affected by these critical events.
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