A €7.2 million contract to build a much-needed new health centre in Elche will be advertised in April.
The Travalon health centre will serve 20,000 people and take the pressure off the existing centre in the Altabix district which covers around 47,000 residents.
Once the contract has been awarded, the winning bidder will have 18 months to build the new facility, which could in theory be completed by the end of next year.
Speaking during a visit to the Altabix centre on Wednesday, Valencian health minister, Miguel Minguez, said: “The Travalon centre is a response to citizen demand which will improve the quality of health care.”
The new Travalon centre will occupy over 2,200 square meters across three floors.
It will have a wide range of doctor and nursing consultation rooms, waiting rooms, plus special areas for certain units and services, as well as green areas and terraces.
The ground floor will have the main reception area, along with two lifts, including one to comfortably take people on stretchers.
The first floor will house family medicine and rehabilitation in addition to a paediatric unit.
An Addictive Behaviour unit will also be created which will have direct and independent access from the street.
The minister’s visit to Elche also saw him check out the progress of a new surgical unit being constructed at a cost of €17 million at the city’s general hospital.