Spain's healthcare cuts put Spaniards' lives at risk

According to a study published in the British Medical Journal on Thursday, budget cuts and austerity measures in Spain could cause the dismantling of a large part of the Spanish health system, potentially damaging the health of the population.

According to authors of the report, if this trend continues, there is a risk that Spain will experience a spiral of health problems, leading to a possible increase in infectious diseases such as tuberculosis and HIV. 

 

The report shows that social services and healthcare cuts of almost 14% at the national level, and 10% on the regional level, in 2012 actually coincided with an increase in the demand for care, especially for the disabled, mentally ill and for senior citizens.

 

Part of the research consisted of interviews with 34 doctors and nurses in the Catalonia region, where the majority said they felt “shocked, numbed and disillusioned” about the cuts.

 

Researchers said that others expressed fears that austerity measures would actually “kill people,” identifying an increase in cases of depression, alcoholism-related diseases and suicides in Spain since the crisis began.

 

The journal quoted Helena Legido-Quigly, who is a lecturer in global health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and who worked on the research:

 

Our analysis is the first to look at the overall impact of austerity measures in Spain on the healthcare system and the findings are of great concern. Many of the measures taken to save money do not have a strong evidence-base. We are seeing detrimental effects on the health of the Spanish people and, if no corrective measures are implemented, this could worsen with the risk of increases in HIV and tuberculosis - as we have seen in Greece where healthcare services have had severe cuts - as well as the risk of a rise in drug resistance and spread of disease.

Legido-Quigly and her colleagues also explained:

 

In the face of austerity, a series of disconnected “reforms” could, without corrective measures, lead to the effective dismantling of large parts of the Spanish healthcare system, with potentially detrimental effects on health.

 

Besides cuts in spending, other changes include excluding unofficial immigrants from accessing free health services and an increase in payments by patients for additional treatments, including drugs, prosthetics and some ambulance trips.

 

According to the report, regional cuts have led to a move towards privatization of hospitals, cutbacks in emergency services, longer waiting times and fewer surgical procedures in both Madrid and Barcelona.

 

Co-author Jose Martin-Moreno, Professor of Medicine and Public Health at the University of Valencia, added: 

 

I believe that this article sheds some much-needed light on the details of the cuts we are seeing in the Spanish health system. In fact, the cuts in public health expenditure, which are being implemented in response to a general economic crisis, are coming at a moment when health systems need more - not fewer - resources, among other reasons, to deal with the adverse health effects associated with unemployment. Cuts to essential health services, when insufficiently assessed or supported by evidence, can destabilize the health system, threatening not only equal access to healthcare, but also health care quality, which can even generate increases in other costs in the long term.

 

According to the report, Spain has one of the lowest healthcare budgets as a proportion of GDP in the European Union.

To the source: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/352391

Coca Cola completes a study: Spain, the Spanish and their pubs

According to the Coca Cola company, a study they have just completed shows that there are 350,000 catering establishments in Spain, meaning on average there is one bar for every 132 inhabitants.

Not bad going. 

 

The Coca Cola study, which was titled "The connection between the people and the bar", went on to look at the relationship between these bars and the Spanish people. 

 

The ratio of bars to people does vary depending on the region. For example in Extremadura and La Rioja, there is an average of 124 and 142 people for every pub. On the other hand, in Murcia and Navarra there are 531 and 340 persons per bar.

 

The study shows that 84% of those questioned in the exercise associate the bar with "fun, enjoyment and happiness", while 74% think that the pub is the best place to meet friends and "disconnect." It also shows that approximately 64% believe that the bar is part of their Spanish culture. 

 

Around 5% visit the bar at least once daily and 30% visit on several occasions each week. When asked why they chose a particular pub, 22% of those questioned said it was for the food and drink, 14% said it was for the prices (particularly with the current economic problems) and 21% said they chose it for the staff. 

 

With reference to tapas (those famous and tasty snacks enjoyed in Spain), the top rated by 37% of the participants were Andalucía and the Basque Country (they are known as pintxos in the latter region), while the most generous portions were said to be found in Madrid and Galicia. 

 

On the subject of the bar staff, the study shows that two-third of the people know the names of the staff at the local pub and apparently 30% would have no problem leaving their house keys at the bar due to the trust they have between themselves and the staff. 

 

All very interesting. However, unfortunately since the beginning of the crisis in Spain some 50,000 bars have been forced to close, sales have dropped by 22% in the catering industry since 2008, meaning around €13,100 million less in revenues, and as a result, 76,000 people have lost their jobs. 

 

If you are visiting a Spanish bar soon, ¡Salud!

To the source: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/351033