The OCB denounces that Espai Salut violates the linguistic rights of Catalan speakers
The entity claims to the Government that the digital public health platform functions entirely in Catalan and criticizes that several services and documents are only available in Spanish
PalmaThe Obra Cultural Balear denounces that the Espai Salut website and application, the digital platform of the public health system of the Balearic Islands, do not currently guarantee citizens' right to manage their health data and services in Catalan. According to the entity's findings, part of the platform's content is only presented in Spanish and the default initial language is also Spanish.
The OCB considers that this situation could violate various provisions of the current linguistic regulations, including several articles of the Statute of Autonomy, the Law on Linguistic Normalization, and Decree 49/2018. The entity considers it particularly serious that these shortcomings occur in a newly implemented tool and within the scope of public health, an essential service where, as it argues, linguistic rights should be especially guaranteed.
Among the functionalities that, according to the OCB, do not currently offer the option in Catalan are the assistant for processing the health card – including applications for issuance, renewal, duplicate, or modification – and the contact and support form with the assistance team. The OCB also denounces that medical and laboratory reports, medication sheets, the dispensing calendar, and the digital clinical history are displayed exclusively in Spanish.
"The same rights in front of a screen as in front of a counter"
The entity maintains that the right to use Catalan before the Administration cannot be limited to in-person or telephone assistance. In this regard, it considers that the digitization of public services must be accompanied by the guarantee of the same linguistic rights in web applications and other digital tools. In this regard, it considers that it is not acceptable for a person who has the right to be attended in Catalan by the public health system to find that their clinical history, their reports, and the information about their medication are only available in Spanish.
"The linguistic rights of citizens are the same in front of a screen as in front of an Administration counter," points out the OCB.
The organization also focuses on the initial configuration of the platform and claims that Catalan should be the default language on both the website and the application, without preventing users from subsequently selecting other language options. According to the OCB, this configuration would contravene article 22.3 of Decree 49/2018.
The OCB calls for an "urgent" correction
Faced with this situation, the Obra Cultural Balear calls on the Government of the Balearic Islands to "urgently" correct the detected deficiencies and ensure that Espai Salut is fully operational in Catalan. The request includes both the content and functionalities of the platform, as well as the documents and information it generates. For the entity, guaranteeing Catalan in Espai Salut is not an "ornamental issue or a concession," but an obligation derived from legislation and a way to respect the linguistic rights of the citizens of the Balearic Islands.