Ten minutes from Soller, high on the hillside to the left of the main road lies the Juan March Hospital. Given to the people of Mallorca by the March family in 1920 it started its life as a TB Sanatorium. It is built with TB in mind with huge balconies out of each room where the beds used to be pushed out into the fresh air. That was part of the treatment in those days.
A low rise building only reaching two floors with a central atrium set in parkland with an amazing view over Mallorca and out to sea. The location is stunning and it is no wonder that hotel companies are after this site. The Juan March is holding on by the skin of its teeth to being a hospital and the patients and their families are very glad that the rebellion of last year put an end to the selling of the site – for now.
The hospital looks after terminally ill people and is a hospice by any other name. The other part of the building works hard at rehabilitation for those with addiction and long term conditions. It is a hospital that has the saddest of days for its patients and the best of days for those that leave after months of dedicated care. The staff have a wonderful reputation and the team of volunteers who try and ease the day for patients and their families are stars.
Many Soller people work at the Juan March and an army of volunteers from Soller make the trip every day to do their bit for those that need it. Our friend is a patient there at the moment which is why I have got to know the place a little. I have always wondered about it -stuck up there on the hill and now I have seen for myself the great work they do.
Anyone interested in volunteering there should contact the Hospital and any donations of books for their small library would be much appreciated.
