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HEALTH

New health law death shakes up Majorca

The manager of a hospital in Majorca was fired on Wednesday after staff at his clinic repeatedly refused to treat a Senegalese man who later died of tuberculosis.

Published: 22 May 2013 17:37 CEST
New health law death shakes up Majorca
Pam was first not tended to, then made to sign a guarantee of payment slip and finally given a general check-up. File Photo: julikeishon/Flickr

The Balearic Islands’ Health minister Martí Sansaloni agreed to remove the director of Comarca de Inca Hospital from his position following the death of Alpha Pam, a young Senegalese man who had been living on the island for eight years but didn’t have a Spanish health card.

Pam first tried to get treatment six months ago when he found out that someone in his entourage had contracted the deadly but easily treatable disease, online daily 20 minutos reported in April.

After going to an outpatient’s clinic on seven occasions, he was sent to Comarca de Inca hospital to receive treatment.

Pam was first not tended to, then made to sign a guarantee of payment slip and finally given a general check-up.

The young Senegalese man passed away in his home on the 21st of April.

His death is the first official case linked to a new law introduced in August of last year which prevents undocumented immigrants from having a health card and only allows them to be treated in the emergency room, regardless of whether they are registered with the state.

Spain's government denied on Wednesday that racial discrimination played any role in Pam's death.

"In no way, and this is the important thing, was there any discrimination related to the origin or condition of the person being cared for," Health Minister Ana Mato told Parliament.

"Unfortunately, mistakes are sometimes made but that has nothing to do with the health service."

Spanish NGO Médicos del Mundo and local political party MES per Mallorca condemned the act of negligence as soon as they heard of Pam’s death and are currently threatening to take legal action against the Balearic Islands’ Health minister Martí Sansaloni for failure to provide medical assistance.

Last week, a British couple seeking urgent medical attention for their baby were forced to make a dawn dash for €132 cash as a result of a similar "extreme" application of the controversial Royal Decree Law (RDL) 16/2012 which was introduced last year.

The law imposed severe cuts on the Spanish National Health System and states unregistered foreigners should be refused medical assistance.

Not all autonomous communities in Spain have enforced the law yet. 

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HEALTH

Danish parties agree to raise abortion limit to 18 weeks

Denmark's government has struck a deal with four other parties to raise the point in a pregnancy from which a foetus can be aborted from 12 weeks to 18 weeks, in the first big change to Danish abortion law in 50 years.

Published: 3 May 2024 08:06 CEST
Danish parties agree to raise abortion limit to 18 weeks

The government struck the deal with the Socialist Left Party, the Red Green Alliance, the Social Liberal Party and the Alternative party, last week with the formal announcement made on Monday  

“In terms of health, there is no evidence for the current week limit, nor is there anything to suggest that there will be significantly more or later abortions by moving the week limit,” Sophie Løhde, Denmark’s Minister of the Interior and Health, said in a press release announcing the deal.

The move follows the recommendations of Denmark’s Ethics Council, which in September 2023 proposed raising the term limit, pointing out that Denmark had one of the most restrictive abortion laws in Western Europe. 

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Under the deal, the seven parties, together with the Liberal Alliance and the Conservatives, have also entered into an agreement to replace the five regional abortion bodies with a new national abortion board, which will be based in Aarhus. 

From July 1st, 2025, this new board will be able to grant permission for abortions after the 18th week of pregnancy if there are special considerations to take into account. 

The parties have also agreed to grant 15-17-year-olds the right to have an abortion without parental consent or permission from the abortion board.

Marie Bjerre, Denmark’s minister for Digitalization and Equality, said in the press release that this followed logically from the age of sexual consent, which is 15 years old in Denmark. 

“Choosing whether to have an abortion is a difficult situation, and I hope that young women would get the support of their parents. But if there is disagreement, it must ultimately be the young woman’s own decision whether she wants to be a mother,” she said. 

The bill will be tabled in parliament over the coming year with the changes then coming into force on June 1st, 2025.

The right to free abortion was introduced in Denmark in 1973. 

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