“Today we are here to defend public healthcare, precisely in one of the areas most mistreated by the government of the Partido Popular,” stated Ana Pontón, the national spokesperson for BNG. She accused the Partido Popular (PP) of jeopardising the lives of citizens through the deterioration of public healthcare while blatantly favouring certain companies seeking to profit at the expense of people's health.
Pontón highlighted that Vigo has historically been the epicentre of privatisation and cuts, leading to a critical decline in the healthcare system. “These issues do not arise by coincidence; they are the result of political decisions made by the PP aimed at undermining public services to benefit private ones,” she said.
She provided specific examples, including the €470 million overspend on the Vigo hospital, which is smaller and offers fewer specialties despite the significant cost. Furthermore, she noted that since 2014, the PP has diverted over €3 billion to private healthcare while public services suffer from long waiting times for appointments and diagnostic tests.
“Today, we see citizens of Vigo and its surrounding areas saying ‘enough’ to the deterioration of public healthcare,” Pontón continued. “People are anxious because they sometimes have to wait weeks to see a general practitioner, months for diagnostic tests, and their lives are often dependent on a call that may never come. All of this is the responsibility of the Partido Popular.”
Pontón concluded by asserting that the BNG will stand with the citizens of Vigo, demanding a reconstruction plan for the Vigo healthcare area, an end to privatisation, a strengthening of primary care, and a commitment to defending the public healthcare system in Spain.
