Mechanical thrombectomy to treat strokes 24 hours a day will not be available in Tarragona until the last quarter of 2027. Until then, this treatment is only provided for twelve hours a day, and outside of those hours, patients must be referred to Barcelona.
The main complaint raised in Tarragona is the mismatch between the urgency of a pathology that can occur at any time and coverage limited to half a day. Francesc Bobé, a family doctor from Tarragona who suffered a stroke, summarized it with a direct phrase during an event at the Cooperativa Obrera.
"A stroke doesn't warn and doesn't have a schedule" - Francesc Bobé, a family doctor from Tarragona
Roger Pla placed equity in access to the service, not in multiplying hospitals
Roger Pla, former manager of the Camp de Tarragona health region, also participated in the same debate. Pla argued that health equity is not about having a hospital with all services in every municipality, but about guaranteeing the same care for all citizens through planning based on objective data and efficient management.
His approach connects with the point that is central to the discussion in Tarragona. The specialized service for this pathology does not yet operate continuously, and referral to Barcelona remains the response outside the current twelve hours of coverage.
Antoni Barbarà criticized privatizations and called for military spending to be redirected to healthcare
Antoni Barbarà, a doctor and activist from Marea Blanca Catalunya, also spoke, criticizing what he defined as the "business of healthcare privatizations." During his participation, he also maintained that it is false that resources are not available.
Barbarà proposed that all military resources be allocated to public healthcare. The event was held at the Cooperativa Obrera and left an unexpected image when, in the middle of his speech, the banner for the debate with the slogan "Defending life is defending public healthcare" fell.
The date set for having 24-hour mechanical thrombectomy available in Tarragona remains the last quarter of 2027.