The childish traps of 'La Razón' with public healthcare

La Razón opens its front page with “Public-private healthcare receives international praise”. They don't specify it until the subtitle, but they are talking about Madrid's model, which, as they reveal, has received the endorsement of a study published in one of the scientific journals of the group The New England Journal of Medicine. The study assures that 262 euros per patient are saved in the public system, mortality decreases, and satisfaction soars. The editorial, on the subject, criticizes Pedro Sánchez and is titled “When ideology disregards patients”. There are also cases where ideology disregards readers, like this one we are addressing. I'll explain.

The newspaper notes that among the signatories of the study is Jeffrey Braithwaite, whom it describes as “one of the most influential international researchers”. Well, when it comes to detailing co-authors of the report, La Razón could also have included Juan Antonio Álvaro de la Parra, corporate general director of Quirónsalud, the company that –oh, my– manages the private part of the system in Madrid. Or Ion Cristóbal, research coordinator of the same group. Or Daniel Toledo, head of healthcare management and planning indicators for the Community of Madrid. And there are more. I'm not saying the conclusions aren't scientifically correct, nor do I know if they are the result of some economic bias. What I do know is that the prestigious journal details all these potential conflicts of interest without reservation, so that everyone can weigh them. La Razón should have done the same and not just included one of the few names that doesn't have an evident direct link with interested entities or institutions for the study to say that everything is wonderful and rosy in Ayusolàndia. Reading this journalistic absurdity, I can only exclaim: call the doctor, please! (a public one, if it's not too much trouble).