Andorra Approves €4.8M Urgent Credit for Meritxell Hospital Expansion

The Andorran government has approved an urgent credit of 4.8 million euros to kick off the expansion project for Nostra Senyora de Meritxell Hospital, with funding drawn from Andorra Telecom's reserves.

The measure, proposed as an extraordinary credit for the 2026 budget under the Ministry of Territory and Urbanism's real investments chapter, requires approval from the Consell General. Officials announced the step on Monday, calling it a strategic priority to advance without delay.

Health Minister Helena Mas and Secretary of State for Health Cristina Pérez presented the initiative, noting that the project is now fully mature after extensive preparation. It marks the initial phase ahead of tendering the full design work.

The overall expansion carries an estimated total cost of 65.4 million euros. This breaks down to roughly 44 million for the new build, 21 million for structural reforms to the existing hospital, and 500,000 to one million euros for additional upgrades and circuit adjustments.

Key features include expanding the emergency department by 700 square metres with 13 new bays, adding two general operating theatres and one obstetrics theatre with three delivery rooms, and enlarging the ICU by three bays. The plan also provides spaces for patient companions, boosts hospitalisation capacity, and creates new areas for oncology consultations, multipurpose rooms, and other clinical services.

Further enhancements target diagnostics, the clinical laboratory, and rehabilitation facilities. Mas highlighted that needs assessment involved over 40 meetings and input from more than 150 stakeholders reviewing current operations.