Spaniards protest healthcare cuts - Gayo Lues

In Madrid, hundreds of protesters took to the streets to call for the removal of the measure that will limit access to free health care for immigrants without full legal status in Spain.

Similar protests were held against the new austerity measure in other Spanish cities.

Under the plan, public healthcare will only be offered for emergency care, minors, and pregnant women.

But the protesters denounced the decision for undermining the right to healthcare, which is guaranteed for all in the constitution, and creating a “medical apartheid.”

The Spanish government argues that the measure will help save an annual of 500 million euros and prevent illegal immigrants who do not contribute to the health system from using the public purse.

Prior to the plan, Spain had been the only European country to give undocumented immigrants access to public healthcare.

The Spanish government is seeking to push ahead with its austerity measures to receive rescue loan of up to 100 billion euros ($ 125 billion) from its eurozone partners for its banking sector.

Spanish banks have suffered rising bad loans and repossessed real estate since the collapse of a property bubble in 2008, which pushed unemployment rate up to nearly 25 percent.

MRS/AS