The Withdrawal of Health Care from Irregular Immigrants and Medical Conscientious Objection

The economic crisis so strongly affecting some southern European countries has led to significant cuts in the system of universal public health care in Spain. Such measures particularly affect irregular immigrants and can also cause significant public health consequences. A form of civil resistan...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Yolanda García Ruiz
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Oñati International Institute for the Sociology of Law 2016-12-01
Series:Oñati Socio-Legal Series
Subjects:
Online Access:https://opo.iisj.net/index.php/osls/article/view/782
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1846156947030540288
author Yolanda García Ruiz
author_facet Yolanda García Ruiz
author_sort Yolanda García Ruiz
collection DOAJ
description The economic crisis so strongly affecting some southern European countries has led to significant cuts in the system of universal public health care in Spain. Such measures particularly affect irregular immigrants and can also cause significant public health consequences. A form of civil resistance that deserves to be analyzed is the conscientious objection of Spanish doctors who have chosen to continue attending irregular immigrants in contravention of new the rules restricting their access to the public health system and their right to health. The aim of this paper is to analyze the new regulation which cut health care for irregular immigrants in Spain, the impact of this new regulation on the most vulnerable groups, and the response of doctors, who exercised their right to conscientious objection in relation to applying the new regulation. Finally to examine the announcement of change which came about as a consequence of international and domestic social pressure causing political risk to the Spanish National Government. La crisis económica, que ha afectado tan profundamente a algunos países del sur de Europa, ha dado lugar a significativos recortes en el sistema de atención sanitaria pública en España. Algunas de las medidas adoptadas han afectado específicamente a los inmigrantes irregulares y pueden tener, incluso, efectos en el ámbito de la salud pública. Una forma de desobediencia civil que merece ser analizada es la declaración de objeción de conciencia de determinados médicos y profesionales sanitarios españoles que han continuado atendiendo a los inmigrantes irregulares en contra de las nuevas  restricciones impuestas por el Gobierno que afectan al reconocimiento universal del derecho a la salud. El propósito de este artículo es el de analizar la nueva regulación que limita el acceso a la asistencia sanitaria de los inmigrantes irregulares en España, el impacto de esta nueva regulación en los grupos más vulnerables y la reacción de los médicos y el personal sanitario que, ejercitando su derecho a la objeción de conciencia, a modo de desobediencia civil, continúan atendiendo a los inmigrantes independientemente de su situación de irregularidad. Finalmente, se examina el anuncio de determinados cambios normativos como consecuencia de la presión ejercida sobre el Gobierno español por organizaciones internacionales y grupos sociales nacionales. DOWNLOAD THIS PAPER FROM SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2888868
format Article
id doaj-art-3f688f97d1824c958bccea581dabf430
institution Kabale University
issn 2079-5971
language English
publishDate 2016-12-01
publisher Oñati International Institute for the Sociology of Law
record_format Article
series Oñati Socio-Legal Series
spelling doaj-art-3f688f97d1824c958bccea581dabf4302024-11-25T15:40:46ZengOñati International Institute for the Sociology of LawOñati Socio-Legal Series2079-59712016-12-0165708The Withdrawal of Health Care from Irregular Immigrants and Medical Conscientious ObjectionYolanda García Ruiz0Universitat de València The economic crisis so strongly affecting some southern European countries has led to significant cuts in the system of universal public health care in Spain. Such measures particularly affect irregular immigrants and can also cause significant public health consequences. A form of civil resistance that deserves to be analyzed is the conscientious objection of Spanish doctors who have chosen to continue attending irregular immigrants in contravention of new the rules restricting their access to the public health system and their right to health. The aim of this paper is to analyze the new regulation which cut health care for irregular immigrants in Spain, the impact of this new regulation on the most vulnerable groups, and the response of doctors, who exercised their right to conscientious objection in relation to applying the new regulation. Finally to examine the announcement of change which came about as a consequence of international and domestic social pressure causing political risk to the Spanish National Government. La crisis económica, que ha afectado tan profundamente a algunos países del sur de Europa, ha dado lugar a significativos recortes en el sistema de atención sanitaria pública en España. Algunas de las medidas adoptadas han afectado específicamente a los inmigrantes irregulares y pueden tener, incluso, efectos en el ámbito de la salud pública. Una forma de desobediencia civil que merece ser analizada es la declaración de objeción de conciencia de determinados médicos y profesionales sanitarios españoles que han continuado atendiendo a los inmigrantes irregulares en contra de las nuevas  restricciones impuestas por el Gobierno que afectan al reconocimiento universal del derecho a la salud. El propósito de este artículo es el de analizar la nueva regulación que limita el acceso a la asistencia sanitaria de los inmigrantes irregulares en España, el impacto de esta nueva regulación en los grupos más vulnerables y la reacción de los médicos y el personal sanitario que, ejercitando su derecho a la objeción de conciencia, a modo de desobediencia civil, continúan atendiendo a los inmigrantes independientemente de su situación de irregularidad. Finalmente, se examina el anuncio de determinados cambios normativos como consecuencia de la presión ejercida sobre el Gobierno español por organizaciones internacionales y grupos sociales nacionales. DOWNLOAD THIS PAPER FROM SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2888868 https://opo.iisj.net/index.php/osls/article/view/782Spanish Health Care CutsEconomic CrisisIrregular ImmigrantsPublic HealthMedical Conscientious ObjectionRecortes sanitarios en España
spellingShingle Yolanda García Ruiz
The Withdrawal of Health Care from Irregular Immigrants and Medical Conscientious Objection
Oñati Socio-Legal Series
Spanish Health Care Cuts
Economic Crisis
Irregular Immigrants
Public Health
Medical Conscientious Objection
Recortes sanitarios en España
title The Withdrawal of Health Care from Irregular Immigrants and Medical Conscientious Objection
title_full The Withdrawal of Health Care from Irregular Immigrants and Medical Conscientious Objection
title_fullStr The Withdrawal of Health Care from Irregular Immigrants and Medical Conscientious Objection
title_full_unstemmed The Withdrawal of Health Care from Irregular Immigrants and Medical Conscientious Objection
title_short The Withdrawal of Health Care from Irregular Immigrants and Medical Conscientious Objection
title_sort withdrawal of health care from irregular immigrants and medical conscientious objection
topic Spanish Health Care Cuts
Economic Crisis
Irregular Immigrants
Public Health
Medical Conscientious Objection
Recortes sanitarios en España
url https://opo.iisj.net/index.php/osls/article/view/782
work_keys_str_mv AT yolandagarciaruiz thewithdrawalofhealthcarefromirregularimmigrantsandmedicalconscientiousobjection
AT yolandagarciaruiz withdrawalofhealthcarefromirregularimmigrantsandmedicalconscientiousobjection