Let me begin by expressing the enormous respect I have for the vast majority of civil servants. I sincerely believe that most of them are great professionals and go out of their way to help citizens with their dealings with the Administration. Unfortunately, there are exceptions.
After 14 months of sick leave during which I underwent delicate surgery, many medical tests of various kinds, and very aggressive treatments, the National Institute of Social Security (INSS) summoned me to be evaluated by the Medical Inspectorate to assess whether or not to extend the sick leave period.
In mid-March, I received a call informing me that I would have to attend an appointment with the INSS medical inspector in Arrecife. The person who called me indicated that I should provide the medical reports related to my illness, so the next day I requested them from the Patient Care Service of the José Molina Orosa Hospital.
Three weeks later, the date of the appointment arrived without the hospital having sent the reports. With some concern about not having the documents that had been requested, I attended the interview with the inspector. Two things made me feel somewhat relieved. One was knowing that I had requested the reports. The other was being sure that the Law of Administrative Procedure (Article 53, d) grants citizens the right not to present documents that are already in the possession of Public Administrations. Although many people do not know it, article 28, 2 of the same Law, in reality it is the Public Administrations that "must collect the documents electronically through their corporate networks. In other words, they cannot ask us for documents that they already have. The objective of these legal precepts is precisely not to overwhelm the citizen. By the way, in this case, sick citizens who have to be constantly looking for papers that they (the Administration) already have.
I recognize that I felt that "logical" unease that these types of procedures usually produce. The official asked me for my ID and then asked about the reports. With all humility, I explained that I did not have them because the hospital had not given them to me, despite the fact that I had requested them several weeks ago. The official replies that it is my obligation to bring them. I tried to reason that it was not my fault that the hospital had not delivered them and that it is not true that the user has an obligation to bring them, since it is the Administration that has the reports in its possession, and therefore it is these bodies (in this case the Social Security, the Canary Islands Health Service and the INSS) that should ask each other for them. Even so, I indicated to the official that I was at his disposal to answer as many questions as he deemed pertinent to ask me. Then the official abruptly stands up and says that "this does not work like this", that without the reports it is not possible to do the interview, that he is going to conclude the meeting and that he would give me a new appointment for another day, when I bring him the reports and "be less nervous". The reality is that the only one who seemed to be nervous was him, who spoke to me standing up and without wanting to listen to anything I was trying to say.
I tried to explain to the official that I did not understand the reason for his attitude, much less the way he was behaving, but it was impossible to argue anything because the official interrupted me every time I tried to say something. And when I already believed that the (non) interview had ended because the official had decided so, suddenly he changes his mind and calls the security guard who provides services in those offices to be present in the office. Immediately afterwards, with the security guard present, the official began the questionnaire about my illness. That same questionnaire that a few minutes before, according to him, was impossible to do for not having brought the medical reports.
Since one is not very good at reflexes - there is no shortage of medicines that diminish them - I began to answer everything the official asked me in the presence of the security guard. What is your illness, when did they operate on you, what treatment have you been subjected to, and so on. And while I was answering the questions, already immersed in absolute dejection, I realize that a civil servant is violating my right to privacy, to the privacy of my medical data. I realize that this gentleman has brought the security guard to restrict my right to be able to reply to him. I realize, in short, that they are treating me like a puppet and that the only objective of this gentleman was to humiliate and subdue me.
According to the Spanish Constitution, this is a social, democratic and rule of law country. But then you realize that an official, obliged by law to abide by the legal system, has just trampled on your rights in addition to treating you with arrogance and even contempt. Of course, I have already filed a formal complaint with the INNS, but that did not seem enough to me and I decided to write these lines so that the case is known to the public. I also do it because I greatly fear that the attitude of this gentleman towards me has not been an exception, but rather tends to be his usual behavior. His arrogance and bad manners are famous on the island. And from what it seems, he has earned it.
It is not necessary to leave the INSS office in Lanzarote to find officials who are really friendly and who go out of their way to provide a correct service to the citizen. It is a pity that the attitude of a single gentleman can ruin the reputation and effort that other colleagues of his make.
I hope that the complaint filed with the INSS, as well as this public denunciation, will make some responsible person take an interest in this matter and find out what is happening in THAT office where people enter with illnesses and leave there just as sick but humiliated.