Madrid healthcare: 19,000 women on mammography waiting lists

More than 19,000 women in the Community of Madrid are currently on waiting lists for screening mammographies. According to data from the Madrid Health Service (Sermas), approximately 9,000 of these women have not yet been assigned a specific date for the procedure.

Political opposition groups, including the PSOE and Más Madrid, have criticized the regional government's healthcare management. The PSOE has linked the increase in waiting times to a diversion of resources toward private healthcare providers, specifically mentioning contracts with the Quirón group. Meanwhile, Más Madrid highlighted the psychological distress and medical risks faced by women waiting for potential cancer diagnoses, suggesting the current system forces a choice between waiting or paying for private services.

The regional government has defended its management, stating that urgent and exceptional cases are attended to within 72 hours and that treatment begins within 15 days when malignancy is suspected.