Hospital question continues to make waves

PALMA
THE controversial plans for a new national health hospital continue to dominate the news, and yesterday Balearic minister for the presidency Albert Moragues, warned that opting for reforming the existing Son Dureta hospital would mean a delay of seven years.

He went on to say that if Son Espases -- where construction work started but was later stopped -is chosen, the government will try to prevent “speculation.” However, he stressed that no final decision had yet been taken and it will now be up to Balearic leader Francesc Antich to find a solution, after reaching agreement with the various parties which form his coalition government.

An interdepartmental committee is studying the advantages and disadvantages of continuing the project at Son Espases, which, if cancelled, means that the government will have to pay compensation.

But, finding an alternative site formed part of the electoral promises of the left wing parties and while the Bloc (Majorcan Socialist Party, United Left-Greens and the Catalan Republican Left) denied that there was a crisis it admitted that the hospital was one of the “key points” of the pact which enabled Antich to form a government.

Moragues said that the decision will be announced on October 3, and he claimed it would be conditioned by the time factor (Son Espases could be ready in three years), and the impact on the environment and the heritage of both projects.

The minister stressed that the final decision will not be conditioned by any compensation it would have to pay to the builders if Son Espases is rejected, although he claimed that it would be “less than 20 million euros.” He added that any compensation would be settled by the courts, as he predicted that “the builders will try to obtain the maximum compensation possible,” while the government will try to pay as little as possible.

Another factor to be taken into consideration are the appeals in court against the original awarding of the construction contract, the changes to the General Plan which led to the reclassification of the land and the declaration of the Monasterio de la Real (which is close to Son Espasas) as a building of cultural interest.

He went on to say that Son Espases would be inviable if the Council of Majorca decided to upgrade the amount of protection of the monastery.
As to Son Dureta, Moragues said that speculation would not be a problem and access is good but “it has no future projection” unlike Son Espases, where the hospital could be expanded to allow for a growth in population. He claimed that a survey conducted by the government showed that most people did not care if the hospital was built at Son Dureta or Son Espases, as long as it was built.

However, as reported in yesterday's Bulletin 80 per cent of the staff at son Dureta believe that the new hospital should be built elsewhere.
Moragues said that the final decision will be taken “thinking about the general interest” and the government was well aware that “it will not be to everybody's liking.” He added that a third site has been ruled out on technical grounds, as it would mean a delay of two legislatures (eight years).
In the meantime, Antich will be facing increasing opposition to the Son Espasas site, as the Save La Real committee plans to stage a demo outside government headquarters at 7pm tomorrow.

The environmental group GOB has also set up a campaign on its website, encouraging people to express their opposition to Son Espasas.