Health Ministry intervenes in cutback-fueled La Rioja dispute
Region refusing to treat residents of neighboring Basque Álava province
On Friday, Health Minister Leire Pajín ordered La Rioja to resume the treatment of patients from neighboring towns in the Basque province of Álava, as it had previously provided.
Following weeks of conflict between the two regional governments of La Rioja and the Basque Country, the national health authorities sent a written request to the former that it disregard instructions given to its health centers in September that forbade specialist visits for new patients from Álava towns such as Laguardia, Labastida and Oyón.
The measure affects some 5,000 people, who had always received healthcare in Logroño, which is only 10 minutes away for Oyón residents, for example, while Vitoria in Álava is more than an hour's trip. Though Health Ministry sources say that the written request is "the highest administrative act" at their disposal, La Rioja premier Pedro Sanz, has said he will not accept it. The regional health authorities are expected to meet in Logroño today to continue their negotiations.
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