The importance of health as one of the pillars of a well-being society is evident. Less so, however, is the sustainability of the health system and the resources necessary to ensure that it is accessible and efficient in the long term. This debate has been going on for years in Europe, with a health system questioned due to the aging of the population, the increase in chronic diseases, the costs of technology, lack of personnel, health crises or economic pressure.
The aforementioned reality is not foreign to the Catalan health system, a model of success where health foundations have, and must continue to have, an essential role in guaranteeing quality health care that meets the needs of the entire territory.
However, to what extent are the public administration, institutions and society as a whole aware? Would public health be viable without the services and resources of foundations? There are significant enough figures that can provide an answer: the 45 Catalan hospital foundations contribute between 19% and 33.8% of the resources of the health system in Catalonia, and up to seven Catalan regions would be left without a reference hospital without the foundations. On the other hand, in the next 40 years it is estimated that the number of visits to primary care and hospitalizations will increase by around 50%, and that pharmaceutical spending will grow by 60%.
These data make clear to what extent the foundation sector is and will be decisive within the field of health. Furthermore, from a more qualitative perspective, we must point out three great assets of these foundations: on the one hand, they provide a public service of general interest and are a key agent of territorial cohesion to ensure access to healthcare for the entire population. On the other hand, they represent an exemplary public-private collaboration model, providing additional resources and research and innovation capacity that contribute to addressing specific needs of society. And they are the vehicle through which civil society participates and wants to contribute to improving the health and well-being of the community in a selfless way.
In this context, from the Catalan Coordinator of Foundations we demand the need to recognize, preserve and promote foundations as an essential part of a health and social system, and as a legal and organizational formula capable of providing an efficient and quality response to present and future needs of people, the territory and society as a whole.
