A new health infrastructure in Vic
The Department of Health plans to build a new Primary Care Center (CAP) in Vic Nord, in the place where the Municipal Market is currently located, which will be demolished to make way for this new infrastructure. Both the City Council and the Department of Health have confirmed to the Catalan News Agency (ACN) that the possibility of rehabilitating the current building of the health center located in Plaça de la Divina Pastora has been ruled out. This decision arises after the closure of the last stop of the Municipal Market last summer, and the location has been proposed by the city council because it meets the necessary requirements for this construction.
Costs and planning
The demolition of the Municipal Market is planned between 2024 and 2025, and will be borne by local costs, while the Department of Health will take over the drafting of the project and the costs of the new building. It is expected that construction of the new CAP could begin in 2026. Budgets for 2024 already include an item for this equipment, although it is expected that it will have to be modified to meet the costs of demolition, a modification budget that will have to be approved by the Vigata plenary session.
Reactions and debate
In the context of the plenary session of Vic City Council in April, the government explained that the demolition of the Municipal Market will soon be put out to tender, although the figures cannot yet be specified. Also, there was a debate on the decision to build a new CAP to replace that of the Divina Pastora, popularly known as the Ambulatory, instead of opening a third Primary Care center in Vic. The reactions to this announcement were not long in coming, with different opposition groups showing their rejection of the decisions taken by the Vigata government.
The CUP shows total opposition to the announcement, stating that the government of Vic does not have a specific proposal for the future of the Municipal Market. In addition, other voices such as that of the VECP spokesperson, Arnau Martí, and the PSC councilor, Josep Pou, also express their disagreement with the municipal decision.