OncoBierzo protests healthcare inequality in Madrid

The collective OncoBierzo has launched a campaign in Madrid to protest healthcare inequalities in peripheral territories. Using digital screens in Callao Plaza, the group displayed the message: “Que tu código postal no decida tu esperanza de vida” (May your zip code not decide your life expectancy).

OncoBierzo highlights critical staffing shortages at the Hospital del Bierzo, noting that only four to five of the six authorized oncology positions are stably filled. The hospital also faces deficits in traumatology, radiology, anesthesiology, and otorhinolaryngology. Additionally, the group criticized the delay in implementing a promised public radiotherapy service; despite a recent 10-million-euro allocation from the Junta de Castilla y León, the collective estimates the service may not be operational until 2028.

Surgical waiting times at the Hospital del Bierzo have also become a point of contention. In the second quarter of 2026, the average wait for surgery reached 201 days, significantly higher than the regional average of 101 days. The group reports that approximately 3,000 people are currently awaiting surgical intervention, representing a 35% increase compared to the previous year.