The Health Minister, Olga Pané, visits the construction works of the new Mental Health Centre in El Garraf

This morning, Health Minister Olga Pané visited the construction works of what will be the new Mental Health Center in El Garraf, designed by Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, next to the current Sant Antoni Abat Hospital in Vilanova i la Geltrú.

Sebastià J. Santaeugènia, CEO of Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, and Irina Marcos, director of Engineering and General Services of the same organization, explained the construction details to the minister and the mayor on-site.

Minister Pané emphasized that "this facility is great news for the territory, an open, integrative, and anti-stigma project that will optimize space to care for people while integrating the region’s mental health services into a single building, improving coordination and facilitating transitions between services. This project reflects the transformation we aim to achieve in this field.”

Santaeugènia reiterated that "we only understand our relationship with users from an integrative and anti-stigma perspective, which is why it is so important for us to infuse spaces with everyday life and humanity. This building is a venue open to mental health and anti-stigma organisations who we want to share our values and knowledge with."

The new Garraf Mental Health Centre has been designed to be a departure from the image of a conventional health facility with the goal of fitting in with the town. The building will therefore be constructed on a recognisable urban scale with rhythmically proportioned openings. "We have designed a building which steps outside the architectural rationale of health buildings and blends in with the rest of the frontages in the built-up area," commented Santaeugènia.

In January, Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu already laid the first stone of the 3,543 m² building²will host the Garraf Adult Mental Health Centre (CSMA) over 1,300 m², the Adult Day Hospital (HDA), the Community Rehabilitation Service (SRC), the Child and Youth Mental Health Centre (CSMIJ), the Child and Youth Day Hospital (HDIJ) and the Drug Addiction Care and Monitoring Centre (CAS). Until now, some of these health facilities were housed in Hospital Sant Antoni Abat under the Consorci Sanitari Alt Penedès-Garraf. The new building means all services will share the same place while promoting health and seeking to reduce the social stigma towards people with mental health problems.

The project will cost around €7 million and is expected to be completed by September 2026.