The Madrid president, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, on Thursday attributed the medical strike to the “ineffectiveness in management” of the Minister of Health, Mónica García, during the debate on public services held at the Assembly of Madrid. According to the regional president, the healthcare conflict has led to more than 215,000 suspended appointments in the region, 10,400 rescheduled surgeries, nearly 22,000 tests not performed, and an economic impact of 16.5 million euros.
Ayuso directly linked the effects of the strike to the approval of the Framework Statute promoted by the Ministry of Health and rejected by the medical unions that called for the stoppages. In her speech to Más Madrid, she stated that it is contradictory to talk about public services amidst a health crisis caused by ministerial decisions. "One must also have the courage to talk about public services in the midst of a health strike caused by your minister, who is the one who has to negotiate the labor conditions for all doctors in Spain," she indicated.
The head of the regional executive insisted that the labor conditions of physicians must be addressed at the state level and accused García of failing to reach agreements with professionals. According to Ayuso, the Ministry has not adequately managed the demands of the medical collective, leaving a conflict affecting all of Spain unresolved.
During her speech, Ayuso also criticized the Ministry of Health for not expediting the homologation of titles for non-EU doctors, an aspect she considers fundamental given the deficit of healthcare professionals in the system. The president questioned the lack of progress in this area, which could help alleviate the shortage of physicians.
“What will they have to do? Illegally jump over a fence for them to finally be considered? What is the process and what is the brilliant idea?” asked the Madrid president, referring to the regularization policies defended by the opposition.
Ayuso accused Más Madrid of defending regularizations without knowing, as she stated, who the affected individuals are, where they come from, or if certain policies could create a pull effect that ultimately harms the immigrants themselves and favors mafias. The regional leader emphasized that it is the autonomous communities that later manage the consequences of these decisions and accused the left of not addressing the root problems.
The president maintained that, instead of listening to the doctors' requests, the Ministry maintains a "dictatorial" attitude towards the healthcare collective. In this context, she recalled the protest planned for June 15 in front of the Ministry of Health, where professionals will once again express their demands.
“On June 15, they will be at the Ministry's door. Let's see if that is something of the Community of Madrid or of all of Spain,” stated Ayuso, expressing her conviction that the conflict transcends the limits of regional management.
The parliamentary clash reflects the growing tension between the Regional Government and the Ministry of Health over the Framework Statute and the medical mobilizations that have spread across various autonomous communities. While Madrid insists that the origin of the conflict lies in the text approved by the Central Government, medical unions maintain their claims regarding working conditions, on-call duties, and specific negotiation for physicians.
