The territorial delegate of Health and Consumer Affairs in Córdoba, María Jesús Botella, has indicated that the Junta de Andalucía works to improve the accessibility of healthcare, as well as the equipment and conditions of public healthcare professionals, while highlighting that The structural problems of national public health affect Andalusia and has asked the union organizations present at the Sectoral Table to return to the path of dialogue and consensus to achieve, together, the improvement of Andalusian public health.
María Jesús Botella has expressed her understanding of the demands of the unions, while ensuring that the Government of Andalusia “will continue working” with the firm objective of offering quality health care to citizens.
In this sense, he recalled that last Wednesday, June 19, the Minister of Health and Consumer Affairs, Catalina García, held a meeting with the unions SATSE, Medical Union, CSIF, CCOO and UGT in which she conveyed her intention to continue working with them within the Sectoral Table, dealing with issues demanded by the union organizations such as the Professional Career or the updating of the Stock Market.
«We know that Andalusian public health is going through problems, we have always recognized it. We have to continue working so that the Public Health System of Andalusia gain in accessibility, in better working conditions for our professionals and in quality facilities for patients,” he added.
In line with the latter, Botella has highlighted the improvements that the Andalusian Public Health System has experienced since 2019 which, as far as professionals are concerned, has translated into an increase in their salaries of 14% on average. thanks to three Sectorial Roundtable agreements that have meant 330 million euros more annually.
Regarding the province of Córdoba, he highlighted that today it has 1,700 more professionals of all categories in the Andalusian Health Service (SAS) staff, reaching 11,440 personnel, “who have gained stability.” has been added, and actions worth 110 million euros have been launched for the modernization of existing infrastructure, the construction of new health centers and clinics and the acquisition of state-of-the-art equipment.
María Jesús Botella has highlighted that “there have been fundamental advances that have allowed us in Córdoba to carry out, among other things performances, the new Avenida de América Health Centre (Córdoba Centre); the Palma del Río Hospital; the renovation of the Paediatric ICU at the Reina Sofía University Hospital; the renovation and expansion of the ICU and operating theatres at the Valle de los Pedroches Hospital; the renovation of modules 30 and 40 of the adult ICU on the first floor of the Reina Sofía University Hospital; the renovation of the Radiodiagnostic Area of the Infanta Margarita Hospital; the renovation of the Baena health centre in the South Health Area or, among many other actions, the renovation of the Surgical Block of the Infanta Margarita Hospital.
Summer Plan 2024
As for this summer, he stressed that Andalusia begins this period with 500 places in Primary Care unfilled due to the serious deficit of doctors that exists at the national level and to which, “unfortunately”the Government of Spain has not offered any solution “leaving the autonomous communities in the lurch.”
In addition, this summer there is an exceptional situation due to the completion of MIR training in September, instead of May, due to the pandemic delay. This means not having 369 doctors to hire during the summer. In addition to this, as he pointed out, 479 doctors are retiring in Andalusia this year.
Despite this situation, the Andalusian Health Service has authorized the hiring of 3,062 health professionals within the Summer Plan 2024 in the province of Córdoba, 165 more contracts than last year. Of these, 2,795 will be for Hospital Care and 267 contracts for Primary Care. In the autonomous community as a whole, 37,320 contracts will be made for this purpose, 3.15% more than in 2023 and 18% more than in 2018.
In relation to the MIR, he has indicated the numerous statements from the autonomous communities to the Interterritorial Council of the National Health System for six months regarding the extraordinary circumstances of the residents this summer and the complex situation that could be generated. «We do not understand how the minister has declined to offer measures to the autonomous communities to solve this difficult situation.».
Even so, he has argued that the intention of the Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs is, within the Law, to mobilize the MIR to other centers in areas of difficult or very difficult coverage with the possibility of another specialist being their tutor, not thus diminishing their training, and always within the resident’s voluntariness. Likewise, these MIRs will be offered the positions they can apply for in September to retain the professional in their future job. Likewise, an economic supplement will be valued.
Likewise, he recalled that the Andalusian Health Service has postponed the transfer competition that was now going to be carried out until September to avoid the movement of professionals and, as a consequence, vacant places.
Fair financing for Andalusia
Finally, he referred to some of the demands of the Sectorial Roundtable unions that involve continuing to increase the workforce and that professionals advance in equalizing salaries with the Spanish average. Along these lines, he has invited trade union organizations to join the Government of Andalusia in the request for fair financing for the autonomous community.
«Every year that passes, since 2009, Andalusia loses close to 1.5 billion euros. President Juanma Moreno’s commitment is to allocate that money to health, education and dependency. We want you to support us, for all of Andalusian society to unite in one voice to demand from the Government of Spain what is due to us. “If we achieve fair financing, we will be able to move faster towards better public health,” he concluded.
