The Association for the Defense of Public Health in the Canary Islands (ADSPC) has expressed its support for the general strike called for November 11 and has denounced the high level of healthcare privatization in the archipelago, as well as the lack of public resources, waiting lists, and the workload of healthcare personnel.
In a statement, the association pointed out that the Canary Islands are among the autonomous communities with the highest level of healthcare privatization and stated that until 2025 it was the one with the most accelerated pace of privatization in the entire country.
7.3% of the public health budget to private centers
According to its data, the Canary Islands allocated 7.3% of its public health budget, about 334.8 million euros, to private centers through agreements and concessions. The entity maintains that some of these contracts are expired and denounces alleged irregularities in their management, including the splitting of contracts to avoid tendering.
The ADSPC has linked this situation to the archipelago's economic model, which it considers exhausted and unsustainable from an environmental, social, and economic point of view, and has warned of its consequences for public health and healthcare.
Likewise, it has warned that waiting lists foster inequalities in access to care and indicated that 24.7% of the population has resorted to private specialists and 23.6% to family doctors from private insurers.
The association also pointed out that the Canarian population pays an average of 553.35 euros annually for private healthcare services, such as dental, optical, hearing, specialized consultations, diagnostic tests, physiotherapy, and rehabilitation, while people with fewer economic resources have greater difficulties accessing these services.
The "touristification" of spaces
Another specific problem it has highlighted is "touristification," due to its effects on the environment, living conditions, and the demand for healthcare.
In this regard, it has denounced that deficiencies in control and management cause public coffers to stop collecting a significant portion of the care provided to tourists.
The ADSPC has also warned of the overload borne by healthcare professionals of all categories, as a consequence, according to the organization, of staff cuts and labor rights.
Faced with this situation, the association has called for greater decision-making capacity for healthcare personnel and the Canary Islands population and has called for participation in the organization and mobilization of the general strike on November 11 and subsequent calls.
The entity has encouraged people to join the strike committees in workplaces and study centers, as well as in neighborhoods and towns.
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