Urgent Call for Resolution in Medical Strike Conflict
SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 10 July – Esther Monzón, the Canary Islands’ Health Minister, attended a meeting of the Interterritorial Council of the National Health System (SNS) in Madrid, where she urged Health Minister Mónica García to urgently address the ongoing conflict with medical professionals over the draft Statute Framework. This issue is impacting all autonomous communities in Spain.
During the meeting, health ministers from 17 regions presented a unified statement, reiterating their demand for consensus and solutions regarding the legislative framework affecting healthcare professionals. They agreed on a ten-point plan aimed at facilitating negotiations related to the proposed law, which is intended to ensure both professional agreement and legal viability.
Monzón and her counterparts expressed the need for the ministry to take charge of negotiations through the Human Resources Commission, to recognise technical contributions, and to lead necessary changes for implementing the Statute Framework securely within the national health system. They also requested the government to prepare an economic report assessing the impact of proposed measures to ensure the statute’s feasibility.
Highlighting the urgency of the matter, Monzón called on the ministry to rethink its approach, engage in dialogue, and recognise the united front the autonomous communities have formed to resolve the strike, which has been detrimental across the regions.
Currently, the medical strike has led to the cancellation of 80,000 medical appointments in the Canaries alone within six months, making swift resolution critical. Monzón stated, “There’s little room for communities to act if the state-level conflict and strike continue.”
The Canary Islands have been proactive in seeking solutions and previously requested independent mediation to resolve the disagreements over the Statute Framework. Alongside regions such as Euskadi and Castilla-La Mancha, they proposed the involvement of an independent body, such as the Patient Organisations Platform, to help facilitate dialogue.
During previous meetings, regional health ministers reaffirmed their commitment to healthcare professionals and patients, urging the ministry to implement structural reforms to enhance the workforce and ensure the sustainability of the healthcare system.
