The Assemblea Nacional Catalana (ANC) has launched a campaign titled A la salut en català. Defensa els teus drets lingüístics (Healthcare in Catalan: Defend Your Linguistic Rights), according to Lhdigital, which first reported the story (Lhdigital).
Volunteers are distributing leaflets at major public hospitals and primary care centres across Catalonia to inform patients of their right to be treated in Catalan. The leaflet includes a QR code linking to a complaint form, which can be submitted by text or voice note. Complaints will be forwarded by ANC volunteers to relevant oversight bodies, including Plataforma per la Llengua, the Medical Association of Catalonia, and the Ombudsman.
Agnès Barba, national secretary of the ANC, told Lhdigital the campaign aims to raise awareness and document cases where Catalan speakers are denied service in their preferred language. She said patients have reported being required to switch to Spanish despite requesting care in Catalan.
Josep Tena, ANC coordinator in L’Hospitalet, told Lhdigital that three formal complaints have already been filed at Barcelona’s Clínic Hospital, citing doctors who refused to communicate in Catalan.
Hospital Language Representatives in Place
Under rules set by the Catalan Department of Health, all healthcare centres must appoint a linguistic representative. At Bellvitge Hospital, this role is active, ensuring patients’ language rights are upheld and Catalan is properly used in services.
Sources: Lhdigital.
