The protest, which marched along Avenida José Mesa y López to Plaza de España, follows the physicians' rejection of the labor conditions improvement proposal presented by the Department of Health, which they have described as "totally insufficient" and "a lack of respect".
The president of the Canary Islands Medical Union (CESM Canarias), Eric Álvarez, stated that the offer "does not address even 3% of the demands" and that the proposed solutions "fall infinitely short." Faced with the "incomprehensible" attitude of the Department, the union has requested direct mediation from the President of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, considering that the director of the SCS and the Minister of Health "are not capable of making an important decision".
Álvarez explained that the request for funds to the Treasury to reach a "reasonable" agreement has not received a response, suggesting the need for a decision from "higher up." Despite being aware of the strike's impact on the population, the doctors assert they have reached this point after "years and months of negotiation" and are willing to engage in "real" dialogue when the other party "wants to solve this problem".
“"It does not address even 3% of the collective's demands, and those it does address fall infinitely short."
During the march, slogans such as "No doctors, no healthcare," "Esther Monzón, find a solution," and "Worked hour, contributed hour" were heard, with banners reading "vocation is not exploitation" and "Own Statute now."
The general secretary of the Spanish Confederation of Medical Unions in the Canary Islands, Levy Cabrera, pointed out that while the proposal includes measures like on-call hours on weekdays, it omits weekends and holidays. He also criticized that the offer for on-call hours "falls far short" of the average of the top three national health services, despite being used as a reference.
Cabrera also denounced that most Primary Care centers are "too small" and many hospitals are "packed" or function as "chronic care centers," making it difficult to hire specialists, especially for young people, who "don't even think about staying here."
The Canary Islands Medical Union will convene assemblies across all islands to decide on future mobilizations and their "pressure," while nationally, an indefinite strike from September onwards is being considered.
