Extremadura, Basque Country and Madrid, the regions in Spain with the most bed closures this summer – La Vanguardia
From the Ministry of Health and the autonomous communities, it is acknowledged that this summer will be challenging from a health perspective. There is a shortage of doctors, especially in primary care, and the closure of health centers is not ruled out. At the hospital level, it has already been warned that many beds will be out of service during the months of July and August. However, these restrictions will not be the same in all communities. Some regions have “done their job,” as Minister Mónica García herself pointed out yesterday.
The Federation of Associations for the Defense of Public Health (Fadsp) has compiled the data on the closure of beds in each region and their percentage of the total public beds available, according to the official data from the Ministry of Health. According to these figures, the total number of public hospital beds expected to close this summer reaches 12,328, which represents 13.70% of the total, with Extremadura (18.1%), the Basque Country (17.8%), and Madrid (17%) being the regions with the highest number of inactive beds.
The Fadsp believes that the closure of beds is “clearly excessive”
Above the average for Spain, Andalusia, Catalonia, and Aragon also stand out, with just over 15.5%, and Asturias with 15.27%. Below the average are Valencia, with almost 10%; Murcia, with over 9%; and the Balearic Islands, with 7%. These numbers come despite the massive influx of tourists in the southern and Mediterranean regions.
According to the Fadsp, the percentage of beds planned to be closed in almost all regions is “clearly excessive,” they point out. “A percentage higher than 5% and 10% depending on the cases does not seem justified,” they reiterate, “and certainly responds mainly to economic interests, budget savings, and not replacing professionals who are on vacation. It does not respond to forecasts of healthcare demand or the need to reduce the very high waiting lists.”
Closures do not take into account the changes of recent years; citizens are spending less time traveling
The Fadsp explains that the closure of beds is based on the annual leave of healthcare professionals, the displacement of population due to holidays (more so in non-coastal areas and highly urbanized populations), and the fact that the incidence of acute illnesses (especially viral ones) tends to significantly decrease in the summer. However, they argue that these closures do not take into account the social changes of recent years, as citizens are taking shorter and more evenly distributed trips throughout the year. Additionally, they have not considered the weather conditions, such as rising temperatures and heatwaves, which lead to an increase in healthcare demand.
