MP and spokesperson David Cid criticized the Health Minister, Olga Pané, stating that the current situation at the Manresa hospital constitutes a serious territorial grievance that directly affects the health of the central regions. This 24/7 coverage is currently guaranteed in the Barcelona and Girona regions.
During his speech, Cid emphasized the critical importance of time in stroke treatment, noting that every 30 minutes that pass before a mechanical thrombectomy reduce the patient's chance of retaining autonomy by 10%. For the Comuns, the lack of continuous service puts the lives of thousands of people at risk.
“"We are talking about hundreds of thousands of citizens who have the right to the same healthcare, regardless of where they live."
The party framed the Manresa case within a broader problem that also affects the Lleida and Tarragona regions, where stroke services are not operational 24 hours a day or throughout the weekends. This territorial discrimination has led the Síndica de Greuges de Catalunya (Catalan Ombudsman) to open an investigation.
The Sant Joan de Déu Hospital in Manresa serves a population of over 270,000 people, a figure similar to that of the Joan XXIII Hospital in Tarragona. Despite this, it does not have the same level of urgent coverage. The parliamentary denunciation follows a signature collection campaign that the Comuns launched a month ago in Central Catalonia.
Finally, the parliamentary group demanded a concrete plan from the Health Minister so that, during 2026, Central Catalonia, as well as Lleida and Tarragona, will have a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week stroke care service with specialized professionals, ending the territorial inequality.
