• In Spain, the companies of the Espriu Foundation (Asisa, Autogestió Sanitària SCCL, Instalaciones Asistenciales Sanitarias Scias SCCL and Lavinia SCoop), a partner entity of CEPES, provide healthcare to more than 2.5 million people.
• The Espriu Foundation is the second health cooperative network worldwide by turnover.
• At a global level, health cooperatives are the only healthcare resource for a large part of the population of developing countries.
• CEPES reaffirms the work carried out against the pandemic by professionals and companies in the Social Economy in numerous sectors of activity: health, healthcare, remote assistance, cleaning, commerce and distribution, fishing, agri-food, care for the elderly, groups in exclusion and people with disabilities among others.
Madrid, April 7, 2020.- The Spanish Business Confederation of Social Economy (CEPES), on the occasion of the celebration today of International Health Day , highlights the “important” healthcare work carried out by health cooperatives in the fight against the Covid-19.
An example of the Spanish Social Economy in the fight against the pandemic is the Espriu Foundation , a partner entity to CEPES, which provides health care to more than 2.5 million people and is the second health cooperative network worldwide by turnover. , according to the 'World Cooperative Monitor', prepared by the European Research Institute for Cooperatives and Social Enterprises (Euricse) and the International Cooperative Alliance.
Juan Antonio Pedreño, President of CEPES , “values and appreciates that the entire healthcare network of the Espriu Foundation companies (Asisa, Autogestió Sanitària SCCL, Sanitary Assistance Facilities Scias SCCL and Lavinia SCoop ) is part of the care device for those affected by the coronavirus, following the indications and guidelines for action established by the health authorities at all times ”.
In addition, these cooperative companies have reprogrammed non-urgent interventions, with the aim of freeing up healthcare resources and giving priority to patient care with the Covid-19 . Likewise, the ICU capacity has been doubled and new hospitalization units have been created.
In addition, some of the examples of actions carried out by the Espriu Foundation companies are:
• Assistència Sanitaria has implemented a free online and telephone service aimed at the general population to advise and resolve queries from people affected by covid-19. It has also launched a plan for flexibilization and postponement of contributions, maintaining all coverage and services for all policyholders who have been affected by the economic consequences of the pandemic.
• Asisa has reinforced all its telemedicine systems, through an app, a medical chat and a home care and monitoring program. He has also created a web portal, AhoraMásQueNuncaTranquilidad.es , which collects information about the covid-19 and tips on how to pass confinement in a healthy way.
• The HLA hospital group , from the Lavinia cooperative, has developed a psychological support program in its centers to help health professionals working against the coronavirus.
Cooperativism, worldwide access to healthcare Globally, much of the population in developing countries has their health services covered only through health cooperatives. For this reason, the United Nations assessed in a report the contribution that this model of the Social Economy makes to universal health coverage.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres recommended that states support cooperatives as sustainable business enterprises that directly contribute to universal health coverage. Likewise, in the document of the international organization, the lack of commercial interest of the entities that make up the Espriu Foundation was revealed, since they “reinvest annually the benefits they generate in improving the quality of services and technological innovation to in order to guarantee the sustainability of their companies ”.
Social Economy, facing the pandemic
CEPES also wants, on the occasion of the celebration of World Health Day, to thank and value the work being carried out by all sectors of the Social Economy involved in the fight against the pandemic caused by Covid-19.
Pedreño wants to highlight one more day "the fierce effort made by its member entities and numerous Social Economy companies in the fight against the pandemic in numerous sectors of activity: health, healthcare, telecare, commerce and distribution, agrifood, fishing, cleaning, care to the elderly and people with disabilities or groups in exclusion, among others ”.
