They ask to raise taxes on tobacco and alcohol to finance Canary Islands healthcare

The Asamblea7islas union has sent a letter to the president of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, so that alcoholic beverages and tobacco are taxed more, and that the amount collected goes directly to public health spending.

In a statement, the union has denounced the deficiencies of public health centers in the Canary Islands, some with a "lamentable" deterioration that need an urgent solution, in order to give "at least" a decent treatment to patients and users.

Likewise, it has warned that surgical waiting lists are another of the "serious problems", since the latest report presented a few days ago by the Ministry of Health places the Canary Islands in the last place of all the autonomous communities with an average wait of 153 days.

"If we add to this the waiting time for diagnostic tests and specialist consultations, we are in a chaotic situation in an essential public service such as healthcare," the union added in the press release.

For all these reasons, they have requested in writing to the president of the Canary Islands additional funding for healthcare, to tax tobacco and alcohol more, and that the money collected be used exclusively for healthcare.

They have also requested a meeting to discuss issues that affect hospitals, such as the use of more than 500 beds for social health patients.