Simon Hunter
TWO of the most senior officials in Andalucia’s regional healthcare system have quit their roles, in the midst of a waiting-list crisis in the southern Spanish region.
The deputy minister for health in the region, Miguel Angel Guzman, and the general director of the Andalusian Health Service (SAS), Diego Vargas, have both stepped down for ‘personal reasons’, according to reports in the Spanish press that were confirmed to news agency Europa Press.
The resignations come at a time when the regional government, run by Partido Popular politician Juanma Moreno, is coming under increasing pressure due to high waiting lists and an overwhelmed primary care system.
More than a million residents of Andalucia are currently awaiting medical treatment within the public system. Of these, 203,000 are due to have surgery, and another 841,000 need an external consultation, according to Europa Press.
Along with education, healthcare is one of the responsibilities of each of the country’s 17 regions.
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