Madrid, 15 mar ( EFE).- the Government will seek to “mechanisms” that help ensure the sustainability of the National system of health ( SNS) and rationalize spending, but the Minister of health, Ana Mato, has insisted that the Executive will guarantee citizens a public health “free and universal, quality”.
Has spoken thus after that the Catalan Parliament approved the co-payment for prescriptions – a euro per recipe, which shall be exempt the chronically ill with fewer resources and the beneficiaries of a non contributory pension-.
And among the measures that the Government is willing to consider, as reported to EFE sources of the Ministry of health, a figure of citizens to pay a part of the prescription medications depending on their income.
Is a measure that those responsible for the Ministry of health want to study in depth before discussing it with regional officials, have specified the same sources, which have clarified that has nothing to do with the “health care co-payment”, the Government has ruled out emphatically.
Responsible for numerous autonomous have made today on the measure adopted in the Catalan Parliament, in some cases to claim nationwide in the connection agreements and in others – the case of several Socialist leaders – to reject or discard its implantation.
The most emphatic has been the President of the Xunta de Galicia, Alberto Núñez Feijoo, who pointed out, in statements to the SER, prefers the pharmaceutical to the health care co-payment, and make that co-pay depending on the income of each citizen.
The Health Minister of the castellanoleonés Government, Antonio MarÃa Sáez, has pointed out in that regard that reach the co-payment to finance health should not be an alternative to the autonomous communities, but that “in any case” an agreement affecting the entire national system.
His Extremadura counterpart, Francisco Javier Fernández Perianes, said that a measure of this nature shall not apply in that community and has launched a message of reassurance to the citizens to observe that measures of savings are being sought to reduce spending are other.
Also in Castile – La Mancha regional government has criticized the measure, and chief spokesman, Esteban Leandro has opined that Catalonia could have begun to suppress any agency, which quoted embassies abroad before set up the co-pay.
In PP, its Deputy Secretary of organization, Carlos Floriano, has ensured that this training rejects the co-payment and has defended the position of the party in Catalonia as having attained – pointed – to not pay the euro by prescription that have least.
The measure approved by the Catalan Government has also ripped into the election campaigns of Andalusia and Asturias, where leaders of the candidates of the major parties have used to make accusations and establish its position.
Thus, the Andalusian President and candidate for re-election, Juan Antonio Griñán, has rejected that co-payment, but has been convinced that if WINS Javier Arenas (PP) imposed it on Andalusia.
Own Arenas has ensured that “in principle” did not agree that measure and that its position will not change in the future.
In Asturias, the Socialist candidate for the Presidency of the Principality, Javier Fernandez, has ensured that the co-payment “or any other kind of privatization” are going to introduce in this community if the PSOE won the elections of next day 25.
From other political formations, as IU, has asked the Government to submit an action of unconstitutionality against the payment of a euro for recipe, and his health, Gaspar Llamazares, parliamentary spokesman has insisted that jurisdiction over medical devices is “inevitable” State.
Organizations and professionals in the health field have also spoken on this controversy; among them, those responsible for the official colleges of pharmacists of Madrid and Barcelona have been convinced that the Government is going to raise the debate on appropriate copayment after March 25, date of Asturian and Andalusian elections.
Near forty social and trade – union organizations include CC.OO, UGT – assembled on the platform in defence of the State of welfare and public services have also asked the Government to submit an action of unconstitutionality against the measure, and have warned that this “repayment” in the pharmaceutical provision exceeds the powers of Catalonia.
To request that the extent recourse to the constitutional has become also the Federation of associations in defence of public health, while the nursing Union (SATSE) has rejected a measure such as “useless” to reduce spending.
