Belén Goñi , Professor of Business Administration at ISSA School of Management Assistants of the University of Navarra
The common good
I had always believed that the purpose of political activity is the common good, that if we citizens elect our rulers and give them part of our money, it is so that they use it well for the benefit of the whole community. But maybe I am wrong...
If we look at the latest data on what worries Navarrese people (CIES Nov 2015) we see how unemployment is still the first concern of Navarrese people, far behind the next one. Unfortunately we have just learned that two Navarrese companies are going to have to reduce their workforce increasing the issue of unemployed. And as if this were not bad enough, the Government has decided to increase the issue of unemployed by eliminating the agreement with the CUN. I don't know the data of the CUN, but what I am sure of is that any business that loses 7,200 clients is forced to make a reduction of staff. By the way, maybe I have been inattentive but I have not heard any union member defending these workers.
The third concern of the people of Navarre is healthcare and, look where, the Government has just decided to include 7,200 more people in the system, which will undoubtedly increase the waiting lists and complicate the healthcare management and, therefore, make it worse for all Navarrese people. That is to say, that with our vote and our taxes, instead of fixing what does not work and solving our problems, our rulers are about to make them worse "for free".
Are there really technical reasons to eliminate the agreement? Comptos and the legal services have already said that it is not a problem. They tell us that they are going to save 2 million but I would love to see those accounts because they do not work out for me. If the health budget for 2016 is 806 million euros, the cost per Navarrese is around 1,250 euros. If the cost paid to the CUN per patient is 719 euros, you can tell me. In the SNS there are around 20% of people over 65 and in the CUN 10%....
On the other hand, the Government is supposed to look after the future of Navarre. We have always been told that in public investments we have to look at the economic impact that they can generate in Navarra, as was the case with Senda Viva, with the Los Arcos Circuit and recently with the project Visión. Have you calculated the economic impact of the Clínica Universidad de Navarra? Do you remember the number of Portuguese who came and spent in Navarra thanks to an insurance policy with the Clinic? And do you know how many people know Navarra thanks to the CUN? Have you bothered to look at what this decision that you want to take could mean for the second business in Navarra? Because I find it very shocking that with one hand we help companies in crisis subject Sunsundegui and with the other we contribute to sink the ones that work.
Whatever some may say, Navarra's healthcare system is good, one of the best in Europe and this is endorsed by all the programs of study that you may want to consult. And it is so thanks to the public-private partnership network that we have been able to create, which allows us to have magnificent equipment and wonderful professionals who complement each other and who on many occasions work together and are delighted to do so. We have no one to spare, I assure you. What we need now is to make it efficient because, if the cost continues to grow, we will not be able to pay for it in the future. Adding 7,200 people at a higher cost and losing good professionals is clearly not going in the right direction.
I would say that there is a lot work to do in Navarra and many things to improve. Let us stop spoiling what works and destroying and let us start building and thinking about the common good. Gentlemen, this is not a game, what you legislate affects the people, the workers and you cannot be playing with the future of our community lightly. If you really want to improve healthcare, do the pending reform work , and do not let the talent that exists in Navarre go to waste.
You have already raised taxes to obtain more funding and you have in your budget several lines that have little to do with the concerns and needs of the people of Navarre. Put back into action the plan to attract paying patients from abroad to contribute to the financing of Navarre's healthcare system, as you have done in other places.
Put the common good first and dedicate yourselves to solving the problems of the people of Navarre, of which there are many, and to working for the future and leave what works alone, and do not contribute to the fourth concern of the people of Navarre, which is the performance of politicians, being placed in first place.