The Móstoles City Council will study the feasibility of offering some type of free dental service for people in vulnerable situations after the municipal council gave the green light to an initiative from Podemos proposing action in this regard.
Podemos’ proposal was brought to the municipal council last Thursday, where, despite doubts raised by the Councilor for Social Welfare, Raquel Guerrero, it was approved thanks to the support of Vox, a partner of the PP in the government, which ended up joining Podemos, PSOE, and Más Madrid in the vote.
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In their initiative, Podemos had highlighted the need to address the dental health of «thousands of people in Móstoles, such as elderly individuals with minimal pensions, families receiving the IMV, or at-risk youth who cannot afford basic dental treatments.»
Podemos Móstoles believes that the city council can «take an active role and complement that coverage with a local service,» especially when there are precedents from other municipalities like Getafe that «have already started similar actions within the framework of public health protection.»
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«We cannot allow people in our city to live with pain or difficulties in eating or speaking simply because they cannot afford a dental treatment. Protecting health is a municipal responsibility, and also a matter of social justice,» emphasized Podemos Móstoles spokesperson Mónica Monterreal.
The Councilor for Seniors and Social Welfare pointed out that in the Community of Madrid there is already «a wide range of free dental services,» and that through Social Services, «all these individuals in vulnerable situations requiring these services are already being attended to.»
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Although Guerrero acknowledged that dental health «is very important» as it «affects overall health,» and that «these treatments are particularly expensive,» she expressed doubts about whether the Móstoles City Council has the authority to implement the proposed free municipal dental service by Podemos.
«The city council has responsibilities in public health, health promotion, and prevention,» added Guerrero, reproaching Podemos for being «unable to implement» the free dental service they are now requesting during their time in the municipal government.
Nevertheless, despite the doubts expressed by the Councilor for Social Welfare, municipal sources have indicated that, following its approval in the Council, the city council will study Podemos’ proposal, which included five specific agreements, the first of which was precisely «a feasibility study of the service.»
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On another note, the proposal also includes initiating agreements with public universities and professional associations, as well as budget allocation or seeking external funding for its implementation.
Lastly, the initiative approved in the Council also proposed developing a referral plan in collaboration with social services and a awareness campaign on the importance of dental health.
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