The Government presented yesterday the expansion project of the hospital Nostra Senyora de Meritxell, which will make it possible to gain space in assistance and support services. The proposal envisages the construction of a new annex building between 13,000 and 15,500 square meters i reform about 3,000 meters of the current buildingwith the aim of redistributing dependencies, expanding capacities and adapting the center to the evolution of healthcare activity. The estimated investment is dand 65.4 million euross –43.7 for the new annex building, 21.2 for the renovations of the current one and half a million for other adaptations-, but the final cost will have to be determined later, even though the Government’s budget range is between 60 and 80 million eurosof which 4.8, processed as extraordinary credit and urgently to General Councilare intended for the drafting of the implementation project. The executive plans to finance this first step, which will last between four and five months, according to the Minister of Health, Helena Massthrough the dividends ofAndorra Telecom.
“We can get this far. When we have the project we can talk about deadlines”
One of the most important expansions will be that of emergencies. The servei will win 13 boxes and about 700 square metersan action that will allow you to have more space for triage and better ordering of patient and ambulance circuits. The Minister of Health explained that it is one of the devices in which the need to grow is more evident and that theincrease of capacity will have to be accompanied by more staff. The initial forecast is to bring in approximately ten long-term professionals to cover the area.
“Having more resources will not necessarily imply a large increase in staff”
The surgical block will be another big beneficiary. The project foresees two new operating theatresin addition toa dedicated obstetric operating room and three delivery rooms. The aim is to better separate the activity, gain flexibility and adapt the spaces to the new services. But pointed out that the expansion of the obstetric block nor should necessarily involve a significant increase in staff because the volume of activity remains relatively stable.
The intensive care unit (ICU) will also grow, with three additional boxesyes new spaces for companions. To this will be added specific departments for oncology, the day hospital and external consultations, areas that the Government considers priority. Part of the activity oncology has already moved to the minus three floorbut the extension must allow visits, treatments, consultations and multipurpose spaces to be concentrated there.
The project is not limited to strictly healthcare areas. It also plans to rearrange and expand the diagnostic services, the clinical laboratory and rehabilitationas well as adapting essential dependencies for the daily operation of both the hospital and the staff, such as the pharmacy, medical transport, shopping areas, changing rooms, kitchen and laundry. The Secretary of State for Health, Cristina Perezhe pointed out that the new configuration must allow more efficient and differentiated circuits for professionals, patients and logistics and adapt the whole to the current standards of security, accessibility, energy efficiency and technological integration.
Hospitalization will also have more capacity, although health it does not place it among the most immediate needs. But defended that the current number of beds is well dimensioned, despite the fact that in some high season periods the occupancy can reach 95% Therefore, new plants should not necessarily be activated immediately. The minister gave as an example that keeping a hospital plant open 24 hours requires approximately seven nurses, so the increase in personnel will be done gradually.
The definition of the needs starts from a functional plan drawn up after dand 45 meetings with the SAS and with 154 participantsas he detailed But. The work has analyzed service by service the current activity and the expected evolution to dimension both the spaces and the human resources. Pérez insisted that the expansion does not respond only to the current situation, but that it has been thought of because thehospital can absorb future population growth and activity peaks associated with tourist influx.
The whole set will be articulated through the new annex buildingthat it will have to be physically and functionally connected to the current hospitalcreating a structure of up to 12 floors. The final surface area will depend on whether two underground parking floors are built, an option still to be defined and which would make the work more expensive. The current parking lot, managed bythe municipality of Escaldes but on lands that are owned by the Governmentwill disappear, and the new annex could reach the floor minus nine if these two levels are finally excavated.
ACCOUNTS AND DEADLINES
Minister Mas avoided setting deadlines for the start and end of the works. Asked why the Government has planned the expansion now, Mas assured that the decision has come after closing all aspects of the project.
FOR THE NEXT GOVERNMENT
The execution of the works will be the responsibility of the next executive and the future of the project will depend on the Government’s decisions.
OUT OF THE BUDGET
According to Mas, the financing of next year’s costs will be carried out with other mechanisms.
