The socialist spokesman for Health, Iván Carpi, has expressed his concern about the serious public health situation in Aragon. In his speech in plenary session at the Cortes of Aragon, Carpi described this summer as “disastrous” for the Aragonese health system, accusing the Azcón government of gradually dismantling public services to promote privatization, following a model similar to that of other autonomous communities such as Madrid and Andalusia.
The socialist health spokesman listed a “long list” of serious problems in Aragon’s peripheral hospitals that demonstrate “poor management” and a “clear lack of sensitivity” to the needs of citizens, also in primary care.
Among the problems mentioned are the lack of doctors in towns such as Mallén and Casetas, and the “alarming waiting times” for consultations and treatments in Barbastro, Calatayud, Alcañiz, Teruel or Huesca. “In Barbastro, patients have to wait up to 473 days for a trauma consultation; in Teruel 407 days for dermatology or 387 for trauma in Alcañiz. And I am only listing the bloodiest cases, but there are many specialties in many centers with waiting times of 100 to 200 days,” he denounced.
Furthermore, Carpi criticized the government’s financial management, revealing a deficit of 80 million euros in the payment of health professionals, which generates great uncertainty about the future of peripheral hospitals. “Do you remember when I told you that the provisions of Article 1 would not be enough for you? You denied it, but time gives and takes away reasons,” he recalls.
Lack of doctors
Carpi also highlighted the cuts and difficulties that the Aragonese have suffered in rural areas during the summer. “They are dedicated to weakening Aragonese public health. And there are so many examples that we could be here all morning,” he lamented.
“We could talk about the health problems in Mallén, with only one doctor for the entire population, or in Casetas, with five fewer doctors. We could also talk about Alcalá de la Selva, which went from a daily consultation to two half-days a week, or Altorricón, where appointments are made 25 days after requesting them. Or we could talk about Ejea de los Caballeros, where the wait for an appointment is as long as January 2025,” Carpi complained.
As for the Utrillas health center, starting next week it will have only five of its 11 doctors, since three of them will leave for other destinations. Despite the incorporation of two doctors this summer, the situation is critical again. The Utrillas health area, which serves more than 5,200 people, will be seriously affected, including the nearly 3,000 inhabitants of the municipality itself and the 2,265 residents of 14 other municipalities assigned to its offices.
The “scandal” of the allocation of the IACS position
During the plenary session, Carpi also asked for explanations on the news published by this media in which the appointment of José López Puy as SIGC technician was reported. López Puy is the national delegate of the New Generations of the PP and accepted the position after surpassing the other candidate in the interview.
It so happens that in court there was a replacement before the trial began and Julián Illana, former PP councilor in the Zaragoza City Council, was replaced by an IACS technician. This same councilor left his position at the Aragonese Institute of Health Sciences the day after his appointment.
“Is this case as unpresentable as it seems? I tell you that, from the PSOE, we will go all the way to clarify this case. I have questioned the choice of profiles of their teams several times. The most expensive structure in history is also the worst, that’s what they could find,” Capri said.
