The Sanitary Commission of the Congress of Deputies has approved by an absolute majority this Thursday the report on the Law project creating the State Public Health Agency, with only the votes against of Vox.
In this way, the Congress has taken the first step in the process of creating the State Public Health Agency, which is expected to be voted on in the plenary session of next week, after the groups have rejected several sets of amendments.
Thus, the Commission has started with the decision of several groups to withdraw some of their amendments, as announced by their spokespersons. The Junts deputy Pilar Calvo has been the first to speak out in support of the text.
«We will do it for all these modifications that have been made to the text, but as always, we will be vigilant that respect for competences continues to exist today, tomorrow, and always, which we often miss so much,» she emphasized.
Similarly, the ERC deputy Etna Estrems has stated that they will «exhaustively» monitor the respect for the competences of Catalonia. «It is basic for us,» she added.
A LAW «IMPROVED» BY THE CURRENT GOVERNMENT
For her part, the Sumar deputy Alda Recas recalled that this is a law inherited from the previous government and that «the Ministry, led by Mónica García and Javier Padilla, has known how to make it their own, improve it with rigor, collaboration, and evidence.»
«It seems as if we did it on purpose, but these days mark exactly five years since the pandemic was declared, and today we hope that a law related to future situations that we will undoubtedly experience will be approved in this Commission,» Recas added.
Likewise, the PSOE deputy Alba Soldevilla has highlighted that the Agency «is not only a technical measure but a commitment to the future, a structure that will allow us to anticipate and act quickly in the health crises that may arise.»
Soldevilla also emphasized that this draft Law includes the ‘One Health’ approach: «Because it is evident that human health, animal health, and environmental health are interconnected. Health also depends on social determinants. It is not enough to prevent diseases; we must promote health and reduce inequalities so that everyone has the right to achieve the same level of health.»
RESERVE OF MEDICINES
The PP deputy Maribel Sánchez defended during her intervention an amendment from her Group, which was later rejected, for the Agency to have a strategic reserve of medicines and healthcare products.
«The creation of a reserve is a key preventive measure to prevent shortages from affecting patients. It also complements other measures to promote diversification in the supply chain to avoid high levels of dependence and combat the risk of shortages. It will also ensure any discrepancies in production or logistics,» Sánchez explained.
In another point, the Vox deputy David García lamented that the Agency was born as a «unified, national, and coordinated response», however, he believes that with the approval of this report, the 17 autonomous communities «will do as they please.»
«We cannot coordinate or organize anything, if we have to go back to the same thing, consulting 17 Health counselors. What quick coordination are we going to have if in the end, each one is going to do as they please, as was done in 2020,» the Vox deputy pointed out.
ADAPTING THE NATIONAL HEALTH SYSTEM TO THREATS SUCH AS PANDEMIC
Thus, the Agency takes one step closer to its creation. In January 2024, the Council of Ministers approved the Law project for the creation of the State Public Health Agency (AESAP). It is an organization aimed at modernizing and coordinating surveillance systems for the population’s health status and the problems and risks they face.
In addition, the Agency aims to lay the foundations to adapt the health system to threats, such as the Covid-19 pandemic, and anticipate them. It also aims to improve coordination and collaboration with the scientific community, industry, administrations, and institutions to monitor and support different response strategies.
Regarding the location of the AESAP headquarters, there are several candidate cities to host it, although the decision will be up to the Ministry of Territorial Policy.
FUENTE
