Prohens responds to Vox that undocumented immigrants represent 1% of healthcare patients
The far right is calling for the exclusion of this group from the healthcare system except in emergency cases.
PalmOnce again, Vox is targeting the rights of undocumented immigrants, this time in the area of healthcare. The spokesperson for the far-right party, Manuela Cañadas, has accused this group of overwhelming the system and has called for limiting their care "to life-threatening emergencies." "Every morning, when the health centers open, there are more than 300 appointments reserved for undocumented immigrants," she said. But the Balearic Government has immediately refuted these figures, insisting that in the last year, healthcare for undocumented individuals only accounted for approximately 1% of all primary care consultations in the Islands. The President of the Government, Marga Prohens, warned Vox against presenting "data out of context," after Cañadas accused them of "burdening the healthcare system" with the care of 200,000 undocumented individuals. "They are funding a phantom hospital dedicated solely to migrants, with hundreds of beds occupied every day while taxpayers suffer endless waiting lists," said the Vox spokesperson. "It's a scam and an insult." Prohens countered that these figures are incorrect, because in the last year only 100,000 people without legal residency have been treated, and there are "ten million primary care visits."
"Limiting access is unfair and dangerous."
"This is not where the sustainability of the system is jeopardized," said Health Minister Manuela García, adding that guaranteeing the health of the general population provides "security to the system." "We learned this with COVID-19: excluding any group opens the door to outbreaks and epidemic risks," she said. In this regard, she insisted that it is the "obligation" of the public health system to "protect citizens": "Limiting their access is not only unfair, but also dangerous." Members of the Catalan government and parliament were vaccinated this Tuesday at the Parliament building to encourage the public to follow their example and protect themselves against the virus.