The Balearic Islands are the region with the greatest shortage of primary care pediatricians.
The island's health centers have 58.2% unfilled beds.
PalmThe 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.
These figures demonstrate an overburdened primary care pediatrician system, both in the Balearic Islands and in Spain. At the national level, a significant percentage of pediatricians care for more than 1,000 patients, a number that far exceeds what is considered optimal to guarantee quality and continuous care for children.
After the Balearic Islands, other regions with high percentages are Catalonia (47.3%), Castilla-La Mancha (42.9%), and Madrid (40.8%). At the other end of the spectrum, the regions with the best situation are the Valencian Community (3.2%), the Canary Islands (4.7%), and the Basque Country (6.3%).
More pediatric admissions
On the other hand, Son Espases University Hospital experienced a 25% increase in pediatric admissions between 2021 and 2024: from 1,861 to 2,298 hospitalizations in three years, according to data from the Regional Ministry of Health. Admissions are back to pre-pandemic levels, with 766 admissions in the first five months of this year.