Currently, the sick leave processing for the 1,700 civil guards in the Almería Command relies on the collaboration of a commissioned army nurse captain and doctors from other commands. This arrangement has raised concerns among professional associations.
“"They do the best they can, but it is very insufficient, and in fact, it is an obligation to have a doctor for this. Moreover, in some cases, such as the control and monitoring of psychological sick leave, agents have to travel to other provinces; it is a shameful situation."
The issue in Almería is not isolated, as over twenty other Spanish commands face a similar predicament. This deficiency arose after the Civil Guard terminated a contract with a private medical services company, Ibersys Seguridad y Salud (part of Avanta Salud), due to the discovery that their professionals lacked the required specialization.
The contract, signed in May 2024 and terminated in November 2025, was resolved after the Secretary of State for Security found that none of the doctors provided possessed the family medicine specialization as stipulated in the offer, and some even lacked professional registration, according to Infobae and confirmed by the Jucil and AUGC associations.
In response, the Almería Command has launched a minor tender, valued at 14,697 euros, to secure a temporary medical service to cover health competencies and temporary incapacity control. The deadline for submitting offers was Monday, April 13.
“"The tender is absurd, firstly because occupational medicine and inspection cannot be done by the same service; it's like asking a professional to be both judge and party at the same time."
Professional associations in the province have expressed skepticism about the success of this tender, arguing that the economic offer is below market rates. They fear the position will remain unfilled, perpetuating a "very deficient" situation that forces agents on psychological sick leave to travel to provinces like Málaga or Murcia for their reviews.
