HOSPITALS and health centres will grind to a halt next week as an estimated 100,000 doctors stage a two-day walkout across Spain.
Services will be slashed to minimum levels on January 14 and 15, with thousands of non-urgent operations and routine appointments set to be scrapped.
The industrial action has been called by the Profession Association for Medical and Medical Practitioners’ Statutes (APEMYF), a coalition of 16 medical associations.
The move has been backed by the Spanish Confederation of Medical Unions (CESM) alongside five major regional groups in Andalucia, Catalonia, Madrid, the Basque Country and Galicia.
They claim doctors are being treated like ‘slaves’ and are furious over a new statute proposed by the health ministry, which they say will ‘degrade’ the profession and allow less qualified staff to treat patients.
The latest bout of industrial action comes hot on the heels of a four-day strike in December which saw doctors walk out as Spain grappled with its worst peak of winter flu in years.
“Two more days will not only give continuity to the demonstrations, they will ensure the effectiveness of the December strike and we will once again send a strong message to both the national and regional administrations,” the unions said in a statement.
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They say the strike is a ‘wake-up call for all those involved’ and have urged government officials to ‘stop hiding behind the delegations of powers and face up to what is actually their responsibility’.
The unions are calling for a separate, specific statute for doctors, arguing the generic framework of the proposed labour statute fails to take into account the profession’s unique conditions.
If their concerns go unaddressed, the unions have threatened coordinated action – including a possible indefinite strike unless health officials reopen meaningful negotiations.
The unions withdrew from official talks after the health ministry declined to set up a separate negotiating table for doctors, instead working with larger, general health unions to thrash out the details of the statute.
What to do if you have an appointment?
Patients with a visit to the doctor or a minor operation scheduled for the affected dates should not assume it will go ahead.
Health authorities are advising patients to call their specific health center or hospital department before travelling.
While emergency care, dialysis and chemotherapy remain guaranteed under minimum service law, routine check-ups and non-urgent surgeries will likely be cancelled.
If you cannot get through on the phone, check the app of your regional health service (such as Salud Responde in Andalucia) for any status updates on your appointment.
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