The president of the Spanish Society of Primary Care Physicians (SEMERGEN), José Polo, has shown his support this Tuesday for the medical strike called by the unions for the next October 28 and has insisted on the need for a specific Framework Statute for the medical collective.
"We believe and support all mobilizations in favor of a unique Framework Statute for doctors. In other bodies, there is no discussion: the general is general, the soldier is soldier, and the troops obey. The doctor is the clinical leader and is a differential fact," Polo emphasized during the presentation of the 48th National Congress of SEMERGEN.
The head of SEMERGEN lamented that, in the 21st century, it is still necessary to "keep shouting" to make Primary Care visible: "We have to keep shouting for the importance of Primary Care, the need for family doctors, and the budgetary and human resource shortages that our healthcare system has," he pointed out.
Regarding the strike called by the CESMSATSE union in Ceuta for the next September 24, in protest against the healthcare saturation linked to the migration crisis, Polo stressed the urgency of reinforcing the staff in the autonomous city. At the same time, he criticized that "it cannot be said that there is a situation of normality when there are professionals working up to 24 hours straight."
"We believe that the situation is not subjective, but real. From SEMERGEN we stand in solidarity with our colleagues, support their demands, and denounce that this situation cannot continue like this," he added.
National Congress of SEMERGEN in Santiago
During the event, the program of the 48th National Congress of SEMERGEN was also detailed, which will take place in Santiago de Compostela from October 7 to 10 and will focus on the transformation of Primary Care. More than 4,500 professionals are expected to participate in a comprehensive scientific program with 182 activities dedicated to clinical updates, innovation, and current challenges in Family Medicine.
The congress will include 64 workshops, 49 seminars, 30 round tables, 16 classrooms, and 16 sessions of excellence courses, in addition to conferences, presentations, and specific spaces aimed at research. The organization has received nearly 3,400 scientific communications.
Among the axes of innovation, genomics and artificial intelligence stand out, along with new tools and models designed to reinforce the problem-solving capacity of Primary Care.
The program will address, among other topics, the follow-up of cancer survivors, obesity, cardiovascular risk, suicide prevention, adolescent health, women's health, gender violence, end-of-life care, antibiotic resistance, and new approaches in respiratory diseases.
"We want to convey a clear message, investing in knowledge and training in Primary Care is investing in better health for the citizens. Our commitment is to continue updating and researching to provide better care, because behind every scientific debate there is a person who expects better attention. We want the congress to be useful for doctors, but, above all, for patients," concluded the coordinator of the Personalized Genomic Medicine and Rare Diseases Group and president of the Scientific Committee, Enrique Gamero.