The HM Obra Social Children Foundation and the FC Barcelona Foundation have joined forces

The HM Obra Social Nens Foundation and the FC Barcelona Foundation joined in their efforts to provide medical care to children with functional differences of Barcelona who is in a vulnerable situation. Both entities have established a collaboration agreement that favors access to health services for these patients and trains health care professionals. HM Nurses Hospital so that they can offer them adapted and inclusive help.

According to Statistical Institute of Catalonia (INDESCAT)In Catalonia there are approximately 37,000 children with functional diversity. If in this figure, we add that one in three children living in Barcelona is at risk of poverty, as announced by Child Rights Report by Ombudsman Rafael Ribó for 2021the prevailing pressure to meet the medical needs of these children is evident.

Minors with functional diversity are more susceptible to secondary health problems and also experience many barriers to accessing health care, such as lack of access to hospital centers; the lack of adequate means of transportation; lack of communication and adaptation in health care environments; untrained staff and inadequate staff; negative attitudes of health care providers; harmful behavior or refusal of treatment due to their dysfunction.

Therefore, the FC Barcelona Foundationwhose mission is to ‘improve the quality of life of the world’s most vulnerable children and youth through education, health and sport as tools to contribute to a more just and inclusive society, with a special focus on equality- gender equality and diversity in all its forms’ and the HM Obra Social Nens Foundationwhich has been caring for the health of vulnerable children in Barcelona for over a century, decided to join forces to offer health care to children with few resources who also have functional diversity or neurodivergent thinking.

The support of the Barça entity is dedicated not only to taking care of the children who need it, but also doing it in an adapted and inclusive way. As such, it trains HM Children Hospital professionals, enabling them to treat patients suffering from degenerative diseases or cerebral palsy or with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) or functional diversity.

The work carried out by HM Obra Social Nens Foundation with vulnerable minors in the Catalan capital focuses on dental, psychological and visual health, as well as facilitating access to necessary vaccinations that are not included in the schedule children with public health vaccines.

The medical director of HM Nens Hospital, Dr. Maria Milais very grateful for the support of the FC Barcelona Foundation because “with their contribution, we have treated more children who, otherwise, it is very possible that their health problem has not been solved, on the one hand, and on the other hand. other and less Important for us, we have learned to better understand and care for children with functional differences, becoming one of the few centers in Catalonia specialized in this type of assistance.