Balearics health and education amongst the worst funded

PUBLIC services in the Balearic Islands, including health and education, are amongst the worst funded in the whole of Spain according to a report released by trade union UGT.
According to this report, the public sector in the Balearic Islands already presented budget deficiencies before the beginning of the financial crisis, which only worsened the situation.
The study has been supported by other reports from the BBVA Foundation and the Valencian Institute for Economic Investigations.
The UGT report, which was released on Monday (May 4) by the secretary general of the federation, Aurelio Martinez, found that the reduction in funding experienced by the public sector in the Balearic Islands was higher than the national average, and had consequently damaged the services provided to citizens in fields such as health care, education and social services.
Investment in health in the Balearics amounts to €1,080 per habitant, the second lowest level in the whole of Spain, only beaten by the Valencian Community by one euro.
Spending on public health care in the Islands is 10.8 per cent lower than the Spanish average, according to the UGT, who claimed that private health care clinics had benefited from this situation as many patients have turned to them in order to have a better quality treatment and avoid the saturation of the public system.
In terms of education, the Balearic Islands has the lowest budget in Spain, with only €793 per habitant.
The investment carried out by government in personal care for elderly or infirm residents is €60.60 per habitant, placing the Islands as the second lowest in this field.
The BBVA report shows that the lowest expenditure on public services can be found in the Canary and Balearic Islands, with €5,252 and €5,431 per habitant, respectively, which contrasts with the €8,531 in Asturias or €8,360 in the Basque Country.