The Minister of Health, Mónica García, announced this Thursday that in the coming weeks the royal decree regulating the special employment relationship of doctors and other residents will be reviewed, with the intention of adapting their conditions to the current situation of the health system.
"The objective is to update their working conditions to the current reality, better organize their workday, move towards the elimination of 24-hour on-call duties, and guarantee the effective compliance with European regulations regarding rest periods," the Minister of Health stated during her appearance before the Senate Health Committee.
In this framework, García has detailed that the regulatory modification will cover MIR, EIR, FIR, PIR and the rest of the professionals in Specialized Health Training. "Ultimately, to recognize their role, to better care for those who care, and to ensure that specialized health training in Spain continues to be a benchmark of quality," he pointed out.
On the other hand, García has admitted "moments of uncertainty" during the call for this year's Specialized Health Training tests. "We know that there have been moments of uncertainty for thousands of people and that generates concern. However, that uncertainty does not really correspond to the reality of the information or disinformation that has been circulating, as always, in a cloud of noise," he stated.
Likewise, he has defended that since 2008, places for Specialized Health Training have increased by 40 percent. Even so, the head of Health has admitted that they have "taken note" and continue "working to improve". "But it is worth emphasizing that the process is proceeding normally and with very high participation. All legal guarantees for the applicants have been met at all times and, furthermore, the award and incorporation deadlines are exactly the same as last year," he specified.
"In fact, nearly 28,000 applicants, 99.83 percent of those who took the test, have passed and are eligible for almost 12,000 training positions. The allocation began today and is proceeding in an orderly and staggered manner by qualifications," he added.
PP's Criticisms of the MIR Call
"THE MIR EXAMS HAVE BEEN A DISASTER"
The PP has requested the minister's appearance to give explanations about the "irregularities" that, in their opinion, have marked the call for positions and the exams for Intern Resident Doctor (MIR) of 2026. Along these lines, the 'popular' senator José Manuel Aranda has branded the tests as a "disaster". "Chaotic and improvised, a disaster. These have been the most magnanimous adjectives for this call," he added.
"The call has been plagued by vagueness and, certainly, by non-compliance, from the list of admitted candidates, through the application period, the provisional results and the changes in management, to the resignation of the Director of Professional Planning, which occurred immediately after the MIR exam was held," he argued.
In this context, Aranda has reproached that the Ministry has offered a "spectacle of disorganization" and has censured the "lack of planning". "The award still remains, which will surely bring some glorious moment. I tell you in advance: they have culminated something that worked well and, by mishandling and politicizing it, they have led it to this sad end," concluded the PP senator.