Alex Iszatt (Reporter)
SPAIN has been awarded a top international prize for promoting the rights of its disabled citizens.
Queen Sofia accepted the Franklin D. Roosevelt International Disability Rights Award on behalf of Spain at a ceremony at the United Nations (UN) headquarters in New York.
“This award serves us as a stimulus to continue making progress towards a fully egalitarian society,” Queen Sofia said.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon lauded the Spanish royal family, the Spanish Government and its people for “the efforts of the European country towards inclusion and equality, such as last year’s adoption of a comprehensive strategy on disability”.
Spain just chucked 800,000 people out of the health system when they changed the law. How does that help with “inclusion” exactly?
Would you further relate your version of Spain present health system since the changes in 2009? Fred?
I am not entirely familiar with the complete workings of the SPAIN health system in years prior to 2009, or completely of 2009… or what it is you are suggesting has taken place: “Spain just chucked 800,000 people out of the health system when they changed the law. How does that help with “inclusion” exactly?”
I LOVE SPAIN!!!
I care about HER people… all the people of SPAIN!
What is it that has caused a REMOVAL of particular citizens from being recipients of a previous HEALTH SYSTEM of SPAIN? If you know it?
Gerone, go and do some research. Spain has changed a lot since 2009.
No no no, you were asked a question Fred.
You always say ‘go and do some research’ as an insulting lame reply.
we’re waiting…
Yes yes yes Trevor, I’ve done my research now go and do yours. I can’t help it if you don’t know what is happening in a country that you are (supposedly) living in lol.
As everyone and their dog knows, the health laws were recently amended and it immediately excluded some 200,000 expatriates that perviously had an entitlement to Spanish healthcare. It also reneged on people who had health cards after moving to Spain in the “good times” i.e. back in the 70’s and 80’s. Another new amendment in the health laws concerns treatment of non-EU immigrants, and it is estimated that around 400-600,000 people were affected i.e. excluded from healthcare.
Wise up Trev.
* previously (for pedantics like Trevor).
The UN does seem to be somewhat detached from the world TODAY or maybe it is that it takes them soooooo long to make up their minds, that when they finally do, something has changed that takes the merit away.
What does your love for Spain and its people got to do with the fact that the present government is dismantling, brick by brick, everything that has taken decades to achieve, especially during the times when there has been a Socialist government in power, to add to the well being of its own people? People are being thrown out of their homes, thousands are having to emigrate, there are no jobs, what used to be one of the best health systems is teetering, help for the disabled and their carers has being cut drastically, old aged pensions are about to be shrunk, the rights of workers are being continuously undermined, children are going hungry. Don’t people read the news, or do they move in the higher echelons of society where money has never been a problem and never will be?
In fact it should be the love for Spain and its ordinary people that should make you agree with Fred, with me, and with millions of Spaniards included, when he says that Spain is not what it used to be, and if the award was merited just a couple of years ago, the right time for awarding it has now long gone.
Let us all pray for Spain and its wonderful people.
It ain’t Cricket,
spot on post, telling it like it really is – well done.
Unfortunately too many of those with their rose tinted glasses who have never suffered from the corruption or the totally bent legal system will never agree because it has’nt happened to them – yet.
Gerone, have a read of these articles that I found just looking at the first 10 hits from Google. Some articles have statistics too, and the BMJ is widely respected.
“http://www.epha.org/a/5161”
“http://www.bmj.com/content/344/bmj.e3213?tab=responses”
“http://www.ipsnews.net/2013/05/health-care-for-immigrants-crumbling-in-spain/”
“http://picum.org/en/news/picum-news/35757/”
“http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/mortgageshome/article-2317127/Expats-head-home-Spain-forced-declare-overseas-assets.html”
Not a very pleasant read I’m afraid, but this is the reality of Spain’s healthcare system in 2013. I’m sure some people get very good treatment, but the point I want to draw attention to is how Spain has excluded so many people.
Meanwhile, Trevor just wants to point out my typing errors. Tells you all you need to know about his worldy knowledge.
It’s not enjoyment Trevor, it’s serious stuff and it affects hundreds of thousands of people. Great reply btw.