Junta de Andalucía to fund 117 chaplains for public hospitals

The Junta de Andalucía has signed an agreement with the Ecclesiastical Provinces of Seville and Granada to provide Catholic religious assistance in public hospitals. The agreement, involving the Servicio Andaluz de Salud (SAS), will fund 117 chaplains across Andalusia to offer spiritual support to patients, families, and staff who request it. In the province of Almería alone, the initiative will cost approximately 157,222 euros, providing seven full-time and three part-time chaplains distributed among the Torrecárdenas, Hospital del Poniente, and La Inmaculada hospitals.

The decision has drawn criticism from the PSOE (Socialist Party) in Andalusia. Spokesperson Ángeles Férriz criticized the allocation of funds for chaplains, arguing that the regional government should prioritize hiring more medical personnel and addressing what she described as a healthcare collapse and lack of resources in the public health system.