Health workers needed
Health Department meets with the different actors in the sector to detect shortcomings and establish lines of action; no mention of new investments
With the public health system overloaded and still reeling from cuts, the Generalitat yesterday gathered the main players within the health sector to identify the challenges that must be resolved in an urgent and unavoidable reorientation of the system. Catalonia’s health minister, Alba Vergés, health organizations, professional associations, unions and educational, scientific and civic organisations began to discuss what should be the priorities of this reform to deal with our aging population and to improve the level of care-giving. After only one day and still in the diagnostic phase, four points have already been identified which require particularly attention.
One pressing issue is to make t primary care more attractive and to get doctors to re-train in this speciality. The figures are clear: while in 1996, 46% of the medical students chose family medicine, that figure has fallen to 21%. “Our needs will require more family doctors,” said Vergés. The professionals demand an improvement in economic conditions and a lighter workload. The second issue is to attract professionals to areas outside the capital. In Tarragona and Lleida especially, staff shortages are acute.
It is also urgent to improve nursing and to bring the nursing ratio closer to European standards. At present Catalonia has a rate of 6.09 nurses per 1,000 inhabitants, the OECD average reaches 9 and in the Basque County it stands at 7.4 .
Finally, there is also consensus for working in conjunction with universities to coordinate their planning with the healthcare needs of the community and make sure that future retirements are covered.