The article details a major protest by approximately 5,000 doctors in Madrid, Spain, against a proposed new healthcare statute. Doctors are concerned about several key issues: excessively long working hours (including 24-hour shifts), lack of adequate compensation for overtime, and the lack of consideration of these hours towards retirement. They also protest the lack of a separate statute for medical professionals that takes into account their unique training, responsibilities, and extended work hours compared to other healthcare professionals.
The Spanish Ministry of Health, under Minister Mónica García, defends the new statute, stating it aims to update working conditions for all health professionals, not just doctors. The ministry rejects the creation of a separate statute for doctors, emphasizing that all professionals should be treated equally. The ministry also proposes limiting on-call shifts to 17 hours, instead of the 24 hours doctors are currently subjected to and wants to maintain a 48-hour work week maximum, including shifts, while the doctors want a 35 hour work week. The ministry also seeks to prevent public service heads from working privately.
The protest, organized by the Confederación Estatal de Sindicatos Médicos (CESM) and the Sindicato Médico Andaluz (SMA), involved doctors from all over Spain. Participants expressed their frustrations with long working hours, poor working conditions, and the lack of response from the ministry. The protest highlighted concerns over patient safety, arguing that excessively long shifts negatively impact the quality of care.