Spain’s hospital operation waiting lists are longest in 18 years

SPAIN’S operation waiting lists in public hospitals have reached their highest level since 2003.

Health Ministry figures going up to the end of 2021 show 706,740 people are waiting for a procedure.

That compared to 704,997 recorded two years earlier, before the Covid pandemic struck.

Average national waiting times are 123 days.

That’s 32 days less than December 2020, but there were nearly 57,000 fewer people on the waiting list.

Aragon has the longest waiting period with 183 days with Catalunya second on 156 days.

Catalunya with 154,799 people and Andalucia with 122,959 have the biggest regional waiting lists.

Madrid comes third with 71,956 followed by the Valencian Community on 50,831.

Patients are mostly waiting for traumatology, ophthalmology, and general and stomach disease surgeries.

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