The start of the third week of the doctors' strike in Spain again left a strong divergence between the figures handled by the organizers and those disseminated by the health administrations. The strike committee, led by the State Confederation of Medical Unions (CESM), defended that the strike had relevant follow-up despite the minimum services, which the unions once again question for considering them excessive.
The organizers maintain that the mobilization maintains strength and that official figures do not reflect the real impact of the protest. Along those lines, they insisted that the conflict remains open due to the lack of progress on issues such as a statute of their own for doctors, the regulation of working hours and on-call duties, retirement, or professional classification.
Faced with the union reading, different regional administrations offered lower follow-up percentages. In some territories, figures around 20% were communicated, while medical organizations defended higher levels. That difference in data has once again marked the narrative of the strike.
Beyond the exact percentage, there was indeed an assistance impact, with consultations, tests, and some interventions rescheduled, according to assessments released by health services and specialized coverage.
What the Ministry of Health Says
From the Ministry of Health, it was insisted that the negotiation channel remains open. The minister Mónica García has maintained that part of the demands are already included in the work on the Framework Statute and even stated, according to declarations made this Tuesday, that the doctors' strike "is no longer justified".
That approach has been rejected by the strike committee, which accuses the Ministry of a lack of real progress and maintains pressure on the negotiation.
WHO intervenes in the doctors' strike in Spain
The head of the Health Personnel and Health Services Unit of the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Europe, Tomás Zapata, has called for “calm dialogue” and “responsibility” to channel the doctors' strike in Spain. During his appearance before the Health Commission of Congress, he appealed for the involved parties to meet and stressed that the conflict represents an opportunity to review and update the regulations governing health professionals, in reference to the Framework Statute.
Zapata defended that healthcare professionals are a central element for the sustainability of the system and asked to think long-term to improve the situation of healthcare personnel. In that framework, he stressed that the open negotiation must serve to “build bridges” and seek solutions that benefit both the system and the population.
During his speech, he also contextualized the challenges of the healthcare system and recalled that Spain is above the European average in doctor density, with an increase of 22%, in addition to ranking third in Europe in the number of doctors trained abroad. At the same time, he pointed out that the country remains below the European average in nurse density.
The WHO representative also linked the labor debate with the mental health of professionals. He cited a European survey published in The Lancet according to which one in three doctors and nurses presents symptoms compatible with depression and one in four symptoms of anxiety. He also recalled that, according to data from professional organizations, around 80% of resident doctors in Spain work more than 48 hours per week, above the limit set by European regulations.