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José Luis Piedra
Seville
Tuesday, 19 November 2024, 18:04
Andalucía's regional government continues to increase the budget allocated to improving healthcare, one of the most complicated of frontline services for the Junta to handle in view of the difficult situation currently in progress. Firstly, the system is weighed down by waiting lists, but there are also problems in primary care and a shortage of healthcare professionals. This ongoing situation once again led to street demonstrations last weekend organised by protest group Mareas Blancas (white tides). The regional Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs plans to inject almost one billion euros more into the Andalusian public health system in next year's budget, which has just passed parliamentary debate.
This budgetary growth in health represents an increase of 6.92% compared to this year, which means that the amount that the regional executive devotes to health accounts for 31% of the total of almost 15.25 billion euros that make up its entire budget. That amount also represents 7.4% of Andalucía's gross domestic product (GDP).
For 2025 healthcare will reach an expenditure of 1,765 euros per inhabitant, which represents an increase of 4.1% compared to 2024 when it stood at 1,695 euros. This is consolidating the growth path with 51% more being spent now than in 2018. At that time the per capita expenditure was 1,169 euros, 596 euros less than at present, according to the regional health department. Rocío Hernández as regional health minister highlighted the "effort and commitment of the [regional] government to Andalusian public health, as never before in the history of Andalucía has so much been invested, so they are budgets with a great social vocation, which focus on the most vulnerable groups and improvements in the care conditions of the Andalusian public health system."
Rocío Hernández is also facing her first budget after joining the health department this summer following a ministerial reshuffle. She stated that "these accounts allow continuity to be given to the measures put in place so that the system has more professionals, more health facilities and greater coverage for the benefit of Andalusians, as well as equity between provinces."
In terms of infrastructure, significant progress is planned with an investment of 572 million euros, 3% more than in 2024, of which 435 million will be allocated to work and improvements in hospitals with the remaining 126 million euros devoted to improving primary care.
In terms of personnel, the budget for improving the working conditions of SAS (Andalucía's public health service) professionals, some 347 million euros more have been earmarked for staff salaries. This boost is expected to increase the workforce by 7,000, which represents a rise of 7.35% in a single year, from 95,160 to 102,152 job roles next year. Furthermore, this will advance SAS's objective of reaching 94% stabilisation of its workforce this year, according to Hernández.
Another important section of the health budget is the amount earmarked for primary care, which will account for almost 35% of the total health budget and is one of the areas that has attracted the most problems and criticism from trade unions and members of the public. To be specific, primary care will receive 5.17 billion euros next year, which is 195 million more than the previous year.
According to Rocío Hernández, "this increase will allow us to continue to comply with one of the points of the pact for the Improvement of primary care signed with the unions last year, which set the amount at a minimum of 25%."
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