About twenty people gathered this Monday in front of the Sant Catalina health center in an action called by the Association for the Defense of Public Health to defend Primary Care and denounce what they consider a progressive deterioration of access to the health system, linked to the collapse of the service, the long wait to be seen and the exhaustion of health professionals.

About twenty people gathered this Monday in front of the Sant Catalina health center in an action called by the Association for the Defense of Public Health to defend Primary Care and denounce what they consider a progressive worsening of access to the health system, linked to the collapse of the service, the long wait to be seen and the exhaustion of health professionals.

Primary Care in the Balearic Islands is accumulating delays that, according to a study by the Association for the Defense of Public Health in the Balearic Islands (ADSPIB), significantly affect patients' access to medical appointments. The organization reports that almost half of users have to wait more than seven days to get an appointment with their family doctor.

Primary care health centers in the Balearic Islands treated 29,938 people diagnosed with depression last year, a figure very similar to those of 2024 (30,479 patients) and 2023 (29,917 patients) – January 13th is World Depression Day. Emergency services treat more than 600 people a year for depression. In 2023, there were 507 hospital admissions due to this disorder, according to data published this Monday by the Balearic Ministry of Health. Depression is one of the leading mental illnesses and a cause of disability, affecting 300 million people worldwide. Between 8% and 15% of people will experience an episode of depression at some point in their lives, reported the EFE news agency. The latest Spanish Health Survey reflects the prevalence of severe depression in the Balearic Islands: 8.93% (approximately 112,000 people), while the national average is 8%. There are signs that help detect depression: loss of energy and fatigue, changes in hunger and sleep, social isolation, feelings of guilt and hopelessness, loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities, and thoughts of self-harm and suicide. The Balearic Islands Health Service (Salut) focuses its resources on both the treatment and management of the illness, as well as on prevention, early detection, and the promotion of emotional well-being.

The Health Service (IB-Salut) has launched the Àuria Project, an initiative aimed at reducing low-value medical practices—approximately 20-40% of interventions performed in Primary Care—and focusing attention on treatments and procedures that offer better health outcomes and greater safety. Low-value practices are tests, treatments, or medical interventions of dubious utility because their effectiveness has not been proven, they may cause adverse effects, or they have an unfavorable cost-benefit ratio. According to Txema Coll Benejam, project coordinator, "collaboration between professionals and patients is key to reversing these unnecessary practices."

The Balearic Islands are the region with the greatest shortage of primary care pediatricians. According to the latest data from the Ministry of Health, 58.2% of these vacancies are available in health centers. Thus, almost half of the Balearic Islands' child population does not have a pediatrician assigned to their health center.