The Eucaliptus square in Torre Baró has had a new SEM base since this Wednesday, where two basic life support ambulances have been stationed, operational 24 hours a day. The facility has been installed next to the Ciutat Meridiana CAP with the aim of reinforcing urgent care in the North Zone of Nou Barris, especially in Torre Baró, Ciutat Meridiana, and Vallbona.
The launch comes after the agreement reached between the Nou Barris district and the Generalitat. The City Council has assumed the financing of the conditioning of the auxiliary and logistical premises, located just in front of the ambulance bay. Although the works were finished some time ago, the opening has been delayed until now, in parallel with the deployment of new SEM ambulances in Barcelona.
Reinforcement to reduce response times
The forecast is that these vehicles will cover the entire city when necessary, but with a clear premise. At least one ambulance must remain at the base for as long as possible to guarantee a rapid response in the neighborhoods of the Zona Nord.
The measure is part of the neighborhood claims of recent months, focused on reducing waiting times and improving healthcare at this point in Nou Barris. The residents have also been demanding more staff at the CAP Ciutat Meridiana.
"It is a milestone, although many may not believe it, that gives us security, because we are far from everything and sometimes, when the ambulance has arrived, it was already too late" - Filiberto Bravo, AV Ciutat Meridiana
A zone with complex access and location
The location of Torre Baró, Ciutat Meridiana, and Vallbona has been one of the factors that have historically conditioned the arrival of ambulances. The three neighborhoods are separated from the rest of the city by highways, train tracks, and the Collserola mountain range, a reality that complicates rapid connection with other points in Barcelona.
To that is added an especially convoluted urbanism. In several sectors it is difficult to locate specific addresses due to the layout of the streets, the intertwined routes, and the block interiors, which hinder numbering and exact identification of the assistance point.
"In Ciutat Meridiana there are many block interiors, Torre Baró is mountain and Vallbona is on the other side of the bridge. The base can make it easy to get to the hospital quickly and that saves lives" - Valeria Ortiz, AV of Torre Baró
The new base seeks precisely to shorten those arrival times in an area where mobility and accessibility add difficulty to any emergency, especially during night hours or when assistance must be activated quickly.
Sustained neighborhood claim
The lack of transport alternatives at certain times of the day has been another of the arguments that have kept the neighborhood claim alive. At night, explain the associations, the dependence on emergency services is even greater.
"At night we don't have any taxis or vehicles in the neighborhood to take us to Vall d'Hebron" - Filiberto Bravo, AV Ciutat Meridiana
"Depending on where, we don't even have coverage to call a taxi. Instead, we can always call 112" - Valeria Ortiz, AV of Torre Baró
The entry into service of the two ambulances represents a response to a demand that has been ongoing for months in neighborhoods where the physical distance from the rest of Barcelona and the complexity of the environment have impacted emergency care. The neighborhood's expectation is that the stable presence of the SEM in Torre Baró will allow for time savings in emergencies and improve proximity healthcare coverage throughout the Zona Nord.