Professional, neighborhood, scientific, user associations, unions and professional health platforms have taken to the streets of central Madrid this Sunday “in defense of public health”, as they did on October 22, 2022.
Under the slogan “For public, universal and quality healthcare in Madrid”, almost thirty organizations – which have promised to “be a pain in the ass” for the president of the Community, Isabel Díaz Ayuso” – have called on Sunday to the mobilization of the citizens of Madrid. The demonstration started at 12 in the morning from Plaza de España and ended in the surroundings of the Puerta de Atocha station. A delegation from the UGT, headed by its general secretary, Pepe Álvarez, and the general secretary of UGT-Madrid, Marina Prieto, participated, among others, at the head of the demonstration.
Among the 18 requests raised by the organizing entities, the hiring of between 7,000 and 8,000 health professionals of all categories in the Community of Madrid stands out, that the health expenditure per patient and year be raised by 500 euros and that the sick be attended in person in a maximum of 48 hours. It is also required that the new out-of-hospital emergencies in the Community of Madrid be staffed by all categories and that their working conditions be respected.
Among the conveners is the Association for the Defense of Public Health of Madrid, but it is worth noting the non-call for mobilization by the Amyts (Association of Physicians and Higher Graduates of Madrid) after the agreement reached with the health Madrid and which, according to the organizers, “represents only a salary increase”, but not an improvement in the public health service.
The promoters of the demonstration warned the president of the Community, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, that “we are not going to disappear no matter what” and promised to be “a pain in the ass” until the regional government provides more funding to improve the system . This was stated before the press by several of the spokespersons for the demonstration before its tour began.
The president of the Regional Federation of Neighborhood Associations, Quique Villalobos, denounced that primary care and the public health system as a whole in Madrid “is below the minimum.”
Villalobos warned Ayuso that “with health care he has a pain in the ass and we are not going to disappear no matter what happens and we will recover our public health system.” “We are fed up with having to wait 15 days for an appointment or spend the night in a hangar with our parents where we are barely served,” he said.
The president of Facua Madrid, Marian Díaz, insisted that “users are tired of the waiting lists and the excuses that the Community makes” to justify the problems in patient care while the regional government “is removing resources to provide private healthcare”.
Díaz stated that the solution cannot be “that we have to go to private insurance” and proclaimed that “enough of playing with everyone’s health” while the system suffers and citizens have to overcome various barriers so that their doctor can attend.
For her part, the general secretary of CC.OO. from Madrid, Paloma López, accused the Community of Madrid of seeking “that healthcare be privatized” and demanded an improvement in the working conditions of professionals, recovering the 35-hour work week, the professional career and “sufficient” funding.
The general secretary of the Madrid UGT, Marina Prieto, assured that the regional government “has been blowing up a public service for years” that should be universal and equal for all citizens but that now stands out for its “lack of Primary Care” and the “conditions unfortunate staff.”
Prieto added that “it is not worth agreeing with doctors” to silence public health protests because “there are other professional categories” that need better working conditions to guarantee better treatment for patients.
