“We lose money, but it’s now or never”

The indefinite strike continues in Primary Toilets. This Monday, the second week of mobilizations began. 5,000 professionals from the Community of Madrid were called to strike. Today, nearly 300 people gathered at the gates of the Ministry of Finance and they handed over their robes symbolically to Javier Fernández-Lasquetty, owner of the portfolio, to pass the consultation. And there they revealed that without funding, there is no negotiation. “What Lasquetty couldn’t do when he was Minister of Health, he does by turning off the funding tap,” says the strike committee.

Do you want to know more? 2 minutes.

Context. Professionals denounce the heavy burden of care they carry, the shortage of doctors and poor working conditions. They demand quality public health that allows them to provide good care to patients, and for this they say the Government of Isabel Díaz Ayuso should invest in public health.

In the first person… Paulino Cubero, a doctor at the Ricardos General Health Center in Madrid, is one of the doctors who threw his apron in the trash in front of the Ministry of Finance. He tells us that he is willing to go as far as necessary because all they want is to have health care guaranteed. He insists that the most important thing is not them, but the people on the other side of their desk during each consultation.

• “Doctors don’t like strikes, and we don’t like patients being left unattended. But if we don’t act now, they’re going to become more and more derelict because health centers are falling like a house of cards, most of them without doctors anyway,” explains this Primary Care doctor.

• “The strike isn’t going on vacation, we’re mobilizing and we have to get the message across to the people that it’s everybody’s business,” Paulino says.

And meanwhile… Like him, many other toilets assure them that they are not willing to give up, even if the strike means significant economic loss for them. Every day they receive more than about 200 euros.

• “We’re losing money and that’s important to us, but that’s a side effect. We’ll have to tighten our belts on other things as well. We have to move on because otherwise Primary Care has no future. We have the impression now. or never,” explains Móstoles. Sonia Arenas, doctor at the Barcelona Health Centre.

• Also, some health centers have created a joint fund with money to help colleagues who can’t afford to stop. In this way, those who have a higher economic situation and cannot be unemployed will be able to go on strike and then they will be given money from that common ballot box.

Unbearable overload. Blanca Matilla is a doctor at Panaderas Health Center in Fuenlabrada. She assures that even though she’s been on strike for seven days, she’s still willing. “We’re excited for them to sit down with us to negotiate,” she explains. And remember that the Society said they lost doctors because of the precarious working conditions offered to them, and those who remained faced a situation of overload.

• “What we need is more money, more budget, to keep all the doctors who leave,” Blanca adds.

Patients are with you. Most doctors say they feel supported by patients. “We were very encouraged, the show was huge two weeks ago and we feel that we are not alone and there are many people supporting us,” these toilets explain.

• Those who work as a minimum service in health centers inform patients and explain why their doctors are on strike.

• “We give them information leaflets, encouraging them to request more doctors and pediatricians at the centers,” says Francisco García, a family doctor. “We feel so supported by patients, they understand our claim,” he adds.

What will happen next? The strike committee stated that according to different international organizations it should concentrate 25% of total health expenditures, but according to the person responsible for Amyts, the necessary money for Primary Healthcare has not been put on the table. under, 14% vs. 11% nationwide. For this reason, the toilets ask the parliament to listen to them and fulfill the promises. “We are witnessing the complete elimination of the First Line, and it will disappear as it continues.” Therefore, they say the time has come to save him.