Although it is one of the departments with the lowest percentage growth (3.6%, far from Culture’s 19.5%, or Equality and Feminism’s 14.2%) in the Generalitat’s budget project, Health continues being the portfolio with the most funding: 12,132.3 million euros, 421 more than in the previous year, a historical high. The improvement of quality and territorial equity are the axes of some accounts which, according to councilor Manel Balcells, must serve to “reaffirm the policies of change and transformation of the health system of Catalonia”.
The bills have the critical support of the PSC, but the rest of the groups were very distant – each with their own reasons – at the presentation made yesterday by Balcells to the Parliament’s Health Committee. “People find their doctor far away and find the day they will give them an appointment far away”, emphasized the socialist spokeswoman, Assumpta Escarp, who expressed great concern over the fact that every year there is a huge displaced expenditure, the difference between the initial budget and what is finally spent. Last year this differential rose to 3,421.6 million, the equivalent of 22.5% of the initial budget. This year, an item of 800 million is included exclusively dedicated to normalizing the displaced healthcare expenditure that is certain to be there at the end of the year. An insufficient endowment, according to Junts’ spokesperson, Jordi Fàbrega, who believes that another 3,000 million would be needed to wipe out the projected deficit.
Balcells described the budget as expansive. It represents a per capita expenditure of 1,535 euros (33 more than in the previous year), one of the lowest in Spain, along with those of Madrid and Murcia and a good distance from Asturias (2,311) or Euskadi (2,229). “We would like to have the level of the Basque Country, for example”, sighed the minister, ready to combat the “suffocating fiscal deficit”. “This will be the Government’s obsession from this moment on”, he assured.
Primary care is the folder that weighs the most, despite the fact that it is not the one that grows the most in percentage: 3,532.7 million, 4.2% more. The primary exceeds the mythical rate of 25% in the accounts of the department. Specifically, it represents 30.5%, according to the councillor, who referred to WHO criteria (which include concepts such as pharmaceutical expenditure, vaccination, preventive or diagnostic activities). Improving accessibility, enhancing professional roles and strengthening community activity are priority objectives. “We are hopeful that accessibility will improve with the programming of reasons, which will differentiate the cases that each professional, administrator, nurse or doctor can attend to, with the aim that the delay does not exceed 48 hours if care by the of the medical or nursing staff”.
On the other hand, it highlights the increase of 7.3% (up to 559.7 million) in the mental health chapter in order to improve the accessibility of children and young people, continue to apply the suicide prevention plan or the plan on eating disorders. Expenditure on intermediate care – previously social and health care – also grew by 7.3% (up to 438.6 million) in order to transform and update a model that aims to replace hospital admissions for elderly and multi-pathological patients. As for infrastructure, Health has a total of 348 million. Outstanding actions are the expansion of the Joan XXIII hospital (17.6 million) and the second phase of expansion of the Hospital del Mar (15.4).
The deputy Núria Lozano conditioned the support of the commons to the withdrawal of the Hard Rock project: “It makes no sense to put more money into health and then have more problems with gambling and mental health”.
