Spain's Health Minister questions nationwide medical strike

Spanish Health Minister Mónica García has described the call for a nationwide medical strike as “a bit strange,” noting that the demands involve matters under regional, rather than state, jurisdiction.

García stated that the reform project for the ‘Estatuto Marco’ (the framework statute for healthcare personnel) has reached the Congress of Deputies for parliamentary processing. She emphasized that her department has reached agreements with major unions, including UGT, CSIF, CCOO, and SATSE, and suggested that the parliamentary process offers a “new opportunity” to debate and amend the text to address legitimate professional concerns.

Conversely, critics of the current reform process argue that the Ministry has failed to adequately incorporate the opinions of medical professionals. Concerns have been raised regarding the impact of proposed changes on working hours, the compensation of medical residents (MIR), and the lack of specific provisions for medical professional status and retirement benefits.