MARY R. SAHUQUILLO - Madrid - 30/07/2010
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Transparency. The citizen may know the levels of water quality, air pollution and the effects of chemical, physical and biological well-being, and even if your doctor is vaccinated against influenza. The draft Public Health Act, which has agreed the country, collects as one of the major routes right of citizens to information about everything that can cause some impact on their health. However, the realization of many of these measures is at the expense of future regulatory developments, so that some experts fear it is, so far, like wet paper.
* The new standard establishes the right to information
* The WHO declared the end of the influenza pandemic
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Participation in projects shall be made public labs
The new law marks a clear that the Administration, also private entities to manage supplies, for example, water-are obliged to inform the population any circumstance that poses a risk to health. If they violate this law may be held liable, except in matters affecting national security.
The draft-over 100 pages that are now being studied and allegations of health institutions and scientific societies, has the right to information and prevention even care field. Determined for the first time that health professionals are obliged to inform their patients if they are vaccinated or not. After that, the city may decide that this doctor or the nurse did not attend. The law reminds immunized professionals is voluntary, but says "that freedom brings the inevitable need" to inform non-vaccination status. One point that will bring controversial, because there should be clear whether individually or in writing.
The Director General of Public Health, Ildefonso Hernandez, recognizes the controversy of the subject. A right to patient information facing the confidentiality of your medical situation? It is significant, especially in a group, the health professionals, highly unlikely to get vaccinated. In fact, only 30% are usually immunized against seasonal influenza. Last year, less than 10% were vaccinated against H1N1.
"Nurses and doctors are in continuous contact with patients and can become a means of transmission of some diseases. Not required to be vaccinated, but is recommended," said Hernandez, who defends the formula adopted in the law as the best way combine the two rights: that of the voluntary vaccination of the professional and the citizen to know.
A benefit, the knowledge on the part of the city, which is an asset to the president of the Medical College, Juan José Rodríguez Sendín. The expert believes, however, that the article will have enforcement problems. Something that matches the quality manager of the Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, Antoni Trilla. "What are you going to tell the patient?" Good morning, Mrs. Lee, how are you? By the way, I notice that I have not been vaccinated against influenza. "And then what?" He asks.
The Director General of Public Health recognizes the difficulty of bringing the measure to the practice and does not anticipate how it will regulate. The law also determined. Another difficulty is the possibility of affecting the relationship of trust between doctor and patient.
The inclusion of the right to information of citizens is a legal innovation of this law, which after a period of claims to the State Council shall, return to the Council of Ministers and is expected in November, the Parliament for approval. A new development which also worries the experts.
Fernando G. Benavides, president of the Spanish Society of Epidemiology, emphasizes the need to specify all these things in a subsequent regulatory development. "Otherwise, the law becomes pure rhetoric," he says. That is precisely one of the clear risk of a law so extensive that it collects from the requirement that the experts who participate in public committees have to report its interest in working with private entities (such as laboratories), to avoid conflicts interest, until all new public policies are analyzed from the standpoint of health.
"We need to clarify and classify the information that we are entitled. With pollution, for example, must be defined if measured and will disclose the levels of certain pollutants in fish. Or if you analyze and disseminate ozone levels by cities and towns, "continues Benavides. Trilla highlights the logistical issue. "I doubt that every people has the capacity to do these tests," he says.
Many cities already do. The novelty is to disseminate the results of those tests. A couple of weeks, the City of Madrid Cercedilla warned citizens not to drink tap water. Officials said it contained bacteria that could cause intestinal problems. However, the analysis did not disclose those who argued his recommendation. Something that, with the new law would not happen.
The standard mark that citizens have the right to be informed "promptly, at least through electronic means" any biological, chemical, physical or other measures that could affect the health of the population. Imminent or cumulative (after exposures over many years). It goes further: "If a health official, including the health authority, orders the disclosure not be justified."
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