Catalan government does not envisage Meritxell Hospital becoming the referral hospital for neighbouring Catalan areas
Anna Vives says the proposal is not on the table
Making Meritxell Hospital the referral hospital for neighbouring Catalan areas is not currently on the Catalan government’s agenda. This is the position outlined by Anna Vives, the Catalan government’s delegate in Andorra, in response to a request repeatedly raised by institutions in Alt Urgell.
According to RTVA, Vives believes that assigning this role to the Andorran hospital would go beyond the cooperation currently being considered. However, she stops short of ruling out the possibility altogether.
“I don’t think anything can be ruled out,” the delegate said, noting that Meritxell Hospital already provides certain services to people living in the border area.
Nevertheless, she added: “Going from that to talking about referral hospitals is perhaps a somewhat bold step, because it is not on the table at the moment.”
Scope for agreements on specific specialties
The Catalan government’s position does not prevent new agreements being explored to allow Meritxell Hospital to treat patients from the border area in specific specialties.
Vives sees scope for cooperation in services available at the Andorran hospital but not offered in La Seu d’Urgell, as the two hospitals provide different levels of care.
The delegate stressed that any agreement would need to be assessed to establish whether it would be appropriate. Further cooperation therefore remains a possibility, although no new services have yet been agreed upon.
The existing partnership already allows patients from the border area to receive dialysis treatment at Meritxell Hospital, providing an example of healthcare cooperation between the two territories.
Cooperation under the work plan through 2030
Andorra and Catalonia have a broad healthcare framework agreement that allows further cooperation to be explored. Meritxell Hospital also works closely with Catalan hospitals in certain specialties.
Strengthening these ties forms part of the Andorra–Catalonia work plan through 2030, which covers healthcare alongside infrastructure, social affairs, home affairs, public safety and cross-border relations.