Oviedo (EFE).- The Minister of Health, Pablo Fernández, has criticized the “unfair and harmful” decisions of some regional governments that are committed to the “policy of curing those who can” and promoting the privatization of the health system, closing health centers in rural areas.
“Our policy is not and will never be to remove clinics from rural areas to reduce spending. We will not allow public health to be dismantled to favor the private alternative ”, she stressed.
This was pronounced this Tuesday in the plenary session of the General Board, where he was asked by the deputy of the Mixed Group, Armando Fernández Bartolomé, and the spokesman for Foro Asturias, Adrián Pumares, about health issues.
Although there may be “capacity for improvement”, the minister stressed that Asturias has a “sustainable” healthcare model and with a “great capacity” for benefits and services in any part of the community, and has placed special emphasis on strengthening the county hospitals.
Fernández has also highlighted the “profound changes” implemented in the organizational and regulatory model of Primary Care, with a stabilization of the workforce that “will greatly help” the health network.
After emphasizing that the Executive is working to attract new professionals and to improve the economic conditions of health workers, he has reiterated that the rate of family doctors in the Principality is “one of the highest in the country.”
The counselor has advanced that the decree that creates the category of family and community nursing will be published “shortly” and has valued the agreement reached with the unions to reorganize emergencies in Primary.
Continue cutting waiting lists
Regarding the waiting lists, the head of Health has affirmed that it must “continue to improve”, although he has stressed that in the Principality there are 27 days less waiting to operate than the average in Spain.
“We have not yet reached the numbers we need. We must continue with this extraordinary increase in care activity ”, he added in this regard.
In his speech, the spokesman for Foro Asturias asked the minister to act “with a long-term vision” to reinforce the Primary Care service with more planning, better management, more resources and means in health centers.
In addition, he has called for measures to end “the difference in working conditions and remuneration that exists.”
From the Mixed Group, Armando Fernández Bartolomé has stressed the importance of carrying out the reorganization of the Asturian health map and has urged the parties to reach an agreement because there is a “very large field of improvement” in the quality of care of the system. EFE
