Primary Care towards collapse
- The Navarra Health Platform denounces the decline and privatization of the public health system.
Members of the Navarra Health Platform for the promotion of quality public health meet with the Health Advisor of Navarra. The members of the platform highlight the need to seek the stability of health personnel, restructure Rural Emergency Services and strengthen Primary Care: "Primary Care in the process of referral to collapse".
Platform members have reported that the number of inhabitants with private health insurance has risen from 5% to 10% in the last ten years: "Poor public perception and declining public health strengthen the private sector." Therefore, they stress the need to offer quality primary care: "We have been denouncing the decline in primary care due to lack of resources".
In addition, they indicate that 40% of the discomfort they detect in health centers are treated by medical-surgical treatments, while the rest are addressed from the "proximity" and taking into account the social situation: "Social situations, such as social inequalities, employment situation, energy poverty, etc., have direct consequences on health, and health centers are those that have a direct relationship with the population to work with it".
"The aim is to restore direct contact with society and strengthen the work done so far, such as prevention, community work, monitoring of chronic processes, etc."
Mandatory amendments
Therefore, they consider that the strengthening of the health system requires "mandatory" changes in Primary Care, such as reinforcing the collaboration with social workers, giving more importance to nurses, increasing the presence of psychologists and physiotherapists and making 80% of the appointments face-to-face. "The objective is to recover the direct relationship with society and to strengthen the work done so far, such as prevention, community work, monitoring of chronic processes, etc. they stress the members of the platform.
Finally, they point out that for the creation of "quality public health", six steps must be taken: strengthening public health and primary care; breaking private agreements; guaranteeing the stability of workers; promoting the public model of care for the elderly; reorganizing and strengthening mental health care; and creating a new Foral Health Law.
