Doctors in Spain's Balearics demand health tax for summer tourists

Doctors working in Spain's Balearic Islands have called for a special health fee to fund the care of tourists overwhelming the health system during the summer months.

However the regional health authority has ruled the idea out, claiming it goes beyond their powers. The proposal by doctors' unions is the latest in a series of efforts around Spain to try and offset some of the negatives of mass tourism on the country.

Miguel Lázaro, president of the Balearic Medical Union (SIMEBAL), said in the Spanish press recently that "the idea is to have a health eco-tax within the tourist eco-tax that would be used to hire doctors during the season when we need them most."

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The Balearic Islands passed the so-called 'eco tax' last year to promote sustainable tourism. The eco-tax increases by up to €6 per night in summer, although in winter it is reduced. In the case of cruise passengers, the tax was tripled, rising from €2 to € 6 in the high season.

Medical experts claim the summer population surge on the islands overwhelms the public system, and are essentially calling on the eco-tax to be expanded to include a further "tourist tax to hire doctors" to deal with it.

However, sources from IB-Salut, the Balearic Islands regional health service, tell Spanish daily El Diario that "this [proposal] exceeds our remit" as they form part of the regional Ministry of Economy, Finance and Innovation.

But doctors on the Mediterranean islands fear the problem is becoming unmanageable. "We have to do more with the same resources," says Lázaro. He adds that in other European countries there is a healthcare co-payment for attending hospital emergency departments ‘"if you skip out-of-hospital services."

The president of the Balearic medical union also provided data that illustrates the pressure on the system over summer, stating that between 450 and 500 emergencies are treated daily at Mallorca's Son Espases, the leading hospital in the Balearic Islands, alone.

During the summer months the number of patients kept for longer stays can exceed fifty, and the wait to be admitted to a ward ranges from two to three days, putting pressure on a system designed for locals. Often, avoidable accidents by tourists can take up bed space from locals.

"It's very noticeable, both in terms of the workload and the type of patient who comes in. As the tourist season progresses, the ratio of local patients to tourist patients is reversed," says Lara, an ER doctor working in hospitals in Ibiza and Formentera.

The most reliable data available for analysing the tourist burden on the islands is the Human Pressure Index (IPH) provided by the Balearic Institute of Statistics (IBESTAT). The lowest daily population figure is usually in December, while the highest peak occurs in August.

During the summer surge, the population roughly doubles in Ibiza and Menorca and triples in Formentera. In Mallorca, it increases by 50 percent.

This influx of tourism in the high season leads to a direct rise in hospital admissions due to alcohol and drug consumption. "It puts a lot of pressure on overcrowded emergency rooms because tourists consume public healthcare resources," says Lázaro.

READ ALSO: Taxes, bans and fines - The new mass tourism measures on Spain's Balearics

However, the spike in tourism putting extra pressure on local healthcare resources doesn't just affect the Balearics, nor is it only international tourists who are increasing the burden for health workers.

According to Satse, Spain's main nursing union, up to 50 percent of nurses in some Spanish regions are not replaced during the summer season, at a time when just like Spaniards in other lines of work, many go on holiday.

For example, up to 80 health centres in the northern Cantabria will be without a doctor at some point this summer.

There are not only fewer healthcare workers, but also fewer hospital beds. According to the union, approximately 10,200 beds will not be made available this summer in Spain.

This situation becomes especially complicated in cities and towns where the population increases exponentially during these months due to the arrival of tourists.

READ ALSO: How to get access to public healthcare in another region of Spain