In almost six years of economic crisis and the resultant austerity, the number of patients currently waiting for operations has risen to over 77,000 compared to approximately 30,000 in 2006, the news outlet reported citing Ministry of Health data.
“Hospital staff and beds cuts, along with deterioration of the primary healthcare system, explain the decrease in the number of surgical operations being made,” a spokesperson for the Spanish Social Party Jose Manuel Freire said as quoted by the newspaper.
According to the Spanish Confederation of Workers (CCOO), over the last six years public hospitals in Spain have been severely underfinanced making it impossible to cut waiting times for patients expecting operations.
“Resources and the budget have been sequestered a year after year. That is what affects [the rise] of patients waiting for the surgical operations,” Rosa Cuadrado, representative of CCOO said, was quoted by the media as saying.
The current economic crisis in Spain began in 2008. From then through 2012, the country experienced a deep recession and the worst unemployment rate in the Eurozone.
European Union fiscal rules forced the Spanish government in 2012 to adopt austerity measures requiring slashing the state deficit to 3 percent by 2016. As a result, government has reduced public services and social expenditures.
