Catalan health minister asks families to 'trust' in new pediatric care model

Catalan Health Minister Manel Balcells asked families for "trust" in the new pediatric care model that the department will implement in 2024 in the face of criticism.   

The new plan will create 79 territorial units of pediatricians and pediatric nurses in Primary Health Centers (CAPs) to ensure that patients' travel time doesn't exceed 30 minutes.   

These teams will consist of 8 to 15 pediatricians and 8 to 15 pediatric nurses, as well as other specialists in child and adolescent care, and will be located in CAPs or other spaces.   

Institutions and users criticized the new model for the "concentration" of professionals and the "loss of proximity".  

In an interview with the Catalan News Agency (ACN), Balcells said that the creation of these teams "does not mean that professionals will not go to CAPs," but will continue to visit patients there.   

"I would ask for a one-year margin of trust as we implement the model, considering that we are not cutting back, but rather improving quality and adapting to circumstances, especially the availability of professionals," he said. 

Cell phones in schools

The use of mobile phones in schools has been on the political and social agenda for months, especially after thousands of families joined WhatsApp and Telegram groups calling for teenagers not to have a phone before the age of 16 due to potential misuse.

Balcells said there is an "urgent need" to address access to screens and cell phones, acknowledging that from a health department perspective, they are "very protective of the mental health of adolescents." 

"We tend to say that excessive use of screens and networks is harmful. We tend to be stricter and more regulatory than others," he said.