Doctors criticize the "degradation" of the system that forces young people to leave.

BarcelonaHundreds of doctors have filled the streets of Barcelona and other cities across Spain to protest against the framework statute that the Ministry of Health has been negotiating for months. It's the law that regulates the working conditions of healthcare professionals and hasn't been updated for 22 years, but medical unions have already made it clear they want it. a single statutedifferentiated from other public health system workers. However, negotiations remain stalled. Doctors argue that long working hours, 24-hour shifts, and poor working conditions are driving young people to try their luck in other countries or in private healthcare and they warn that, if there are no changes soon, the generational changeover for all the professionals who will retire in the coming years will not be possible.

"We have never seen such a severe degradation of the healthcare system, and the main victim is the patient. Endless waiting lists, people fleeing to the private sector and people fleeing to other countries. There are hospital services that have been left with half their staff," laments doctor Elena Cabez. A thousand professionals have joined the call of the Metges de Catalunya union, which has estimated that 58% of professionals have followed the strike. However, the department has confirmed that the strike had a 9% follow-up this morning.

Once the demonstration ended, a good part of the protesters left the Maternity grounds, where the department headquarters are located, and blocked Les Corts street for about half an hour. They then marched up Avenida Alfonso XIII and halted traffic on Diagonal Avenue, shouting "medical agreement." This is the first strike during Health Minister Olga Pané's tenure at the department, and the union has asked her not to ignore their demands, although the key to resolving the conflict lies with the Ministry of Health. "Health care responsibilities fall primarily to the autonomous communities, and therefore, it is also their problem," Lleonart told the media.

The Ministry of Health acknowledges the "accumulated discontent."

After meeting with union representatives, the Ministry of Health explained that it has committed to "seeking opportunities for dialogue" with them to continue studying their demands and developing proposals, which it did not elaborate on. On the other hand, the Ministry of Health acknowledged the "accumulated discontent" of doctors after years of overburden, but linked it to an "outdated" framework statute and "the lack of commitment from many communities governed by the right, which maintained precarious conditions and the deterioration of public health." According to the ministry, the reform proposed by Pedro Sánchez's administration improves the rights of all healthcare personnel, reduces precariousness, and puts an end to 24-hour on-call shifts. They also insist that negotiations are open to the autonomous communities, which have the majority of responsibilities over personnel, payroll, and compensation.