Spain must tackle uneven distribution of its doctors, report says

Although Spain has a higher proportion of doctors per head of population than most other European countries, the distribution is uneven, and some specialties have shortages, a report from the Organización Médica Colegial says.

Juan José Rodríguez Sendín, secretary general of the college, which represents all Spain’s registered doctors, said, “The problem is not one of supply, but of unregulated, unforeseen, or unplanned demand influenced by the intervention of many factors of variable importance, such as population, human resource policies of the Spanish Ministry of Health, and planning.

“There is only an occasional lack of doctors in Spain in certain specialties, provinces, and departments. It is more correct to talk about maldistribution rather than a real lack of doctors. The professionals we have in Spain are not well distributed according to …