Cambio político, enfermedad y reforma sanitaria: la respuesta asistencial al Síndrome del Aceite Tóxico (España, 1981-1998)

Abstract

In 1981, Spain was threatened by the sudden appearance of an epidemic-like disease, one which was unknown to that date. The Toxic Oil Syndrome, as it was later named after the oil that caused it, thus demanded a response that became conditioned by the fact that the biological nature of the disease was unknown, but also, significantly by the complex situation in the country at that time. Spain was immersed in process of great political change, as well as a difficult economic situation, the authorities were obliged to react in not ideal conditions and in accordance with the very values that the new model of social relations that was being developed. This paper aims to look at the way in which the Toxic Oil Syndrome acted as a catalyst and accelerated the healthcare reform that, already prior to the outbreak of the epidemic, had been deemed necessary. This work focuses mainly on the response of the health system regarding those affected by the epidemic, as it was forced to treat a group of people with severe physical side effects which would lead to disability within a new framework of social relations. It thus aims to illustrate how many of the measures adopted were in accordance with the main ideas behind the reform, and also how these measures were precursors of those which were later applied to the population as a whole.

Rare diseases: an historical introduction

“…Mikami's work encourages reflection on the health problems that have acted as triggers, sometimes for social movements, and sometimes for institu-tional responses. Myopathies in France 35 , familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy (paramyloidosis or doença dos pezinhos) in Portugal or the particular case of toxic oil syndrome (TOS) in Spain 36 serve as examples to promote the creation of research centres. It is necessary to highlight the parallelism between TOS and SMON, due to their toxic cause and legal consequences, which precisely separated them from the institutional responses they motivated.…”

The toxic oil syndrome as a catalyst to psychiatric reform in Spain (1981–85)

“…On the one hand, it acted as a driving force, helping to bring about the introduction of some of the key elements of the future medical care model. On the other hand, it was a kind of test, against which to evaluate these measures with respect to what was expected of them (Hernández-Martín and Martínez-Pérez, 2011).…”