Why am I moaning?

AS I’ve said many times I love living in Spain and I try very hard not to cop the hump with the way certain things are dealt with, but sometimes it’s almost impossible.

Because of my misspent youth I now suffer for it in my old age and one of the many ailments I have is diabetes. I went to the doctor for a checkup and she said that my sugar levels were sky high and we needed to get it sorted so she referred me to the hospital to see a specialist as she couldn’t prescribe the necessary meds. Three months later I got to see the specialist and she very quickly told me that the doctor was correct, and I must say, was very thorough. So what have I got to moan about you may ask? Well are you sitting comfortably? Then I’ll begin.

The specialist said: “You need to go on insulin and there is a new slow release injection you can have. It’s very simple and very easy.” She then starts to write out all the prescriptions for my new kit which consists of a pre-loaded pen, a machine for testing my sugar level (that’s free) and the strips for that machine, plus some new pills and that’s it. Simple. So I take the prescriptions to the pharmacy. First of all they don’t have the pen in stock because it’s so new. “OK so it will be here tomorrow, I’ll just have everything else then.” “Ah no you won’t.” “Why?” “Because the prescriptions for the strips that measure your sugar level have to be approved by the inspector.” “What inspector?” “Who? Clouseau? Maigret?” “The health inspector.” “Where do I find him?” “He visits the doctor’s surgery with a big stamp that approves stuff.” So off we go and Mrs S takes all the bits of paper that need approving to the doctors to see the stamper person. Mrs S always does this stuff as she speaks Spanish and basically ... I don’t!

The next day I go to get the pen and I ask the pharmacist to remind me how to use it. She explains and during the lesson says I have to change the needle every day. No problem. “How many needles do I get with the pen?” “None,” she says. “So how do I inject myself? Were they on one of the prescriptions?” “No, you have to get them from the nurse.” “What nurse?” “The nurse that works at the doctors that you went to today to get all your bits of paper stamped by the inspector!”

NOOOOOOOOOOOOO! By now I’m in stage four grumpy mode and decide I’ll just buy the bloody needles. “Sorry we don’t stock them and nor do our suppliers because the insulin pen is so new.” So, three months, pne week and counting I still haven’t got my new diabetes meds.”

John Ensor

EUROPE’S largest gold reserves are located in northern Spain, but it appears that no one dares to touch it.

Gold has played an important role in history and to this day still exerts a strong influence on currencies around the world. Spain has the largest untapped gold reserves in Europe, located in Tapia de Casariego in Asturias, northern Spain, wrote a news source on Saturday, July 8.

It is estimated that under the Salave lagoons, there could be 30 tonnes of gold, a huge amount that would represent 10 per cent of the gold reserves held by the

Bank of Spain. And they have remained untouched for more than 2,000 years.

One company, Exploraciones Mineras del Cantábrico (EMC) has applied to exploit the deposit, assuring that there will be no impact on the environment. Although the first few months could be a little tricky, drilling will be ‘minimally invasive.’

A spokesperson for the company said: “The project is awaiting environmental assessment and now we have to wait and let the officials work. A completely different project has been presented that has solved the environmental impact problems detected in the past, such as the one affecting the water.”

However, opinion is divided in the village as to whether it is a good idea to extract the gold. It has long been a bone of contention with the association ‘Oro No’ ( No Gold ) created almost two decades ago by those opposed to the idea.

One ‘Oro No’ spokesperson commented: “People live from livestock, fishing and tourism. With the exploitation of the mine, the heavy metals from the mine would affect all these sectors.”

On the other hand, ‘Idoa’ is in favour of the mine, arguing that it could create many jobs in the area and stimulate the local economy.