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| Version 4 | Version 5 |
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| Immigrants in Spain to lose right to public healthcare | Immigrants in Spain to lose right to public healthcare |
| (4 months later) | |
| About 150,000 immigrants living in Spain will lose their right to public health services on Saturday as the recession-hit country tries to save money. But doctors warn that excluding immigrants from the health system will have a wider impact on ordinary Spaniards' health. | About 150,000 immigrants living in Spain will lose their right to public health services on Saturday as the recession-hit country tries to save money. But doctors warn that excluding immigrants from the health system will have a wider impact on ordinary Spaniards' health. |
| The move by Mariano Rajoy's conservative People's party government has provoked anger among doctors and some regional governments that deliver public health to Spaniards. | The move by Mariano Rajoy's conservative People's party government has provoked anger among doctors and some regional governments that deliver public health to Spaniards. |
| Amnesty International and other NGOs have accused the government of breaking international agreements by excluding a significant section of the population – immigrants without proper residence permits – from public healthcare. | Amnesty International and other NGOs have accused the government of breaking international agreements by excluding a significant section of the population – immigrants without proper residence permits – from public healthcare. |
| Hundreds of doctors have pledged to keep their surgeries open to all immigrants, regardless of whether they have a valid health card or not. | Hundreds of doctors have pledged to keep their surgeries open to all immigrants, regardless of whether they have a valid health card or not. |
| Médecins sans Frontières pointed to cases such as María, a 32-year-old Bolivian woman who works in the black economy as a maid and who needs antidepressants ever since she discovered her elder son was badly sick. "As of tomorrow she will be unable to continue the treatment," a spokeswoman said. | Médecins sans Frontières pointed to cases such as María, a 32-year-old Bolivian woman who works in the black economy as a maid and who needs antidepressants ever since she discovered her elder son was badly sick. "As of tomorrow she will be unable to continue the treatment," a spokeswoman said. |
| Another immigrant, Petru from Romania, who suffers from pulmonary tuberculosis and diabetes, will lose a right to regular insulin while her untreated tuberculosis becomes a health risk to ordinary Spaniards, the NGO added. | Another immigrant, Petru from Romania, who suffers from pulmonary tuberculosis and diabetes, will lose a right to regular insulin while her untreated tuberculosis becomes a health risk to ordinary Spaniards, the NGO added. |
| Six of Spain's 17 regional governments have pledged to ignore Rajoy's orders and will keep providing healthcare to immigrants who would, otherwise, now only be able to seek treatment from the accident and emergency wards of public hospitals. | Six of Spain's 17 regional governments have pledged to ignore Rajoy's orders and will keep providing healthcare to immigrants who would, otherwise, now only be able to seek treatment from the accident and emergency wards of public hospitals. |
| The rebel regions include all those that are not run by Rajoy's PP and one, in north-western Galicia, that is. | The rebel regions include all those that are not run by Rajoy's PP and one, in north-western Galicia, that is. |
| "They will continue to be attended in our health centres," said Galicia's regional prime minister, Alberto Nuñez Feijoo. | "They will continue to be attended in our health centres," said Galicia's regional prime minister, Alberto Nuñez Feijoo. |
| But those regions that want to keep looking after irregular immigrants must go through the costly process of inventing new electronic health cards for them. | But those regions that want to keep looking after irregular immigrants must go through the costly process of inventing new electronic health cards for them. |
| As Spain's regional governments seek their own bailouts, authorities in cash-strapped Valencia, eastern Spain, have also been making British residents apply for new health cards as they tighten up on services to EU citizens. | As Spain's regional governments seek their own bailouts, authorities in cash-strapped Valencia, eastern Spain, have also been making British residents apply for new health cards as they tighten up on services to EU citizens. |
| "I went to the doctor to get my regular insulin prescription," said one British woman who has lived in Valencia for six years and asked to remain anonymous. "They said I had been struck off the list and had to apply for healthcare again. I spent three days queuing up for papers." | "I went to the doctor to get my regular insulin prescription," said one British woman who has lived in Valencia for six years and asked to remain anonymous. "They said I had been struck off the list and had to apply for healthcare again. I spent three days queuing up for papers." |
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