On Sunday, thousands of people took to the streets of Madrid in defense of public health services and against the “destroying” of primary care they claim is being promoted by the regional government of Isabel Díaz Ayuso.
“Madrid defends public health. Against the destruction of primary care” was the rallying cry of the rally About 200 thousand people, according to government estimates, a figure that the organizers estimated at 670 thousand, although they indicated, in the first calculation, that there would be about 300 thousand participants.
EFE news agency reported that four lines of protesters left four different locations – Nuevos Ministérios, Atocha, pera and Hospital de La Princesa – to converge on the Plaza de Cibeles.
Shouting “public health”, “Ayoso, resignation” and “less speeches, more resources”, protesters raised white handkerchiefs and accused the President of the Community of Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso (PP), of destroying primary care, which has long waits to arrive and the precarious work of health professionals .
The Minister of Health of the Community of Madrid, Enrique Ruiz Escudero, said the demonstration was “politically encouraged” by Miss Madrid and stressed that the protest “does not require” the action of the regional executive, which is seeking to reach an agreement with the unions. from the sector.
“The problem of professionals, especially family doctors, occurs not only in Madrid, but in all autonomous communities,” the minister said.
One of the starting points was the Hospital de la Princesa, where the health workers on duty, by the windows, responded with applause and raised their fists to the applause given to them by protesters at the start of the march.
Thousands of doctors also participated in the demonstration to warn that they need more resources and individuals to do their work, stressing that the situation is in the “extreme limits” and that it has been “many years” to bear “a lot of pressure”. , EFE reported.
Representatives of the left parties in the Madrid Assembly criticized Ayuso for his management of emergencies outside the hospital and primary care and demanded that he change his policy in favor of public health.
MAS Madrid spokeswoman for the association, Monica Garcia, a medical doctor, told reporters that Ayuso should take on political responsibilities.
“Either the Minister of Health leaves or the entire PP government leaves, because what they are doing is an unprecedented failure,” said Monica Garcia.
After the rally, the spokesman for the People’s Party of the Madrid Assembly, Pedro Muñoz Abreñes, in statements sent to the media, considered the demonstration a “failure”, claiming that “99% of Madridists” do not support it.
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