Healthcare inequality protests in Spain

Healthcare services in the Bierzo and Valdeorras regions of Spain have come under intense scrutiny due to staffing shortages and structural deficiencies. In early October, the collective OncoBierzo launched a campaign in Madrid to protest healthcare inequalities, using the slogan “Que tu código postal no decida tu esperanza de vida” (May your zip code not decide your life expectancy).

The group highlighted critical vacancies in oncology, traumatology, radiology, and other specialties at the Hospital del Bierzo. They also noted significant delays in radiotherapy services and reported that surgical waiting times had reached an average of 201 days, a figure substantially higher than the regional average.

By mid-October, approximately 4,000 people demonstrated in O Barco under the organization Plataforma da Sanidade Pública de Valdeorras. Protesters demanded improvements to address the dismantling of internal medicine services and the lack of permanent pulmonology services, which is a critical need due to the local slate industry’s impact on silicosis rates. Residents also raised concerns regarding primary care, pediatric services, and the availability of advanced life support ambulances for the aging population.