The refusal given by the Community of Madrid to the Ministry of Health revived the debate on the structural situation of public health.
At a time when the National Health Service in Portugal is highly criticized, this is also a delicate subject here next door.
Information given this week by the Community of Madrid to the Spanish Ministry of Health revived the debate on the structural situation of public health in Spain.
The Community of Madrid informed the central government that it will not provide the requested information on breast, colorectal and cervical cancer screening programs.
Fátima Matute, responsible for Health in the Community of Madrid, accused the Government of using this request as a “strategy of political confrontation”. It considers that these actions are the exclusive responsibility of the autonomous communities, carried out “with full autonomy, professionalism and proven success”.
The central Ministry of Health insists that this data needs to be collected to ensure equity in the system.
On the radio, a former Secretary of State did not hesitate: “The health system in our country is, for the most part, on the verge of collapse. structural collapse.”
José María Lassalle justified his opinion, focusing on what is happening in Madrid, a capital with double pressure on Health: “We are being forced to resort to private healthcare as a complement to our income. This is creating inequality and a collapse.”
“There was a lack of investment, coordination and ability to predict the direction in which the demand for healthcare in our country is evolving”, he claims.
Lassalle further warns that, due to the general lack of response, the private sector was also unable to respond to all. And he gave his example: “This week, I needed to go to a private clinic and I was facing the same queues and waiting times as in the public health system”.
“The middle class is paying for public healthcare with their taxes, but also, by necessity, private insurance. This is unsustainable. We are paying twice for a service that is not working properly“, he complained.
Already Andalusia, the Popular Party (PP) wants to hire a thousand doctors in 2026. It will be a sign of recognition that there is a problem of structural underinvestment in health.
