The acting Minister of Health, Presidency, and Emergencies, Antonio Sanz, has criticized the attitude of Minister Mónica García, whom he accused of not seeking dialogue to prevent the strike calls. Sanz stated that the problem has been escalating since December and that citizens are suffering the consequences.
Sanz described the Minister of Health as "the worst in the history of Spanish democracy," arguing that she is more focused on her electoral candidacy than on resolving the situation. In contrast, he defended the Junta de Andalucía's support for the doctors' demands and its commitment to dialogue.
The minister urged President Sánchez to engage in dialogue with doctors to end the strike, criticizing Minister García for preferring to "shirk responsibility" and blame the autonomous communities, instead of accepting responsibility for the development of the Framework Statute, which falls under the Ministry of Health.
According to data provided by the minister, since the strikes began in December, Andalusia has seen over 1.5 million health appointments suspended, with an economic impact close to 200 million euros. The last week of strike alone (June 16-19) resulted in the cancellation of 211,504 appointments and an economic impact of 28.64 million.
Finally, Sanz questioned how the PSOE can claim to defend public healthcare if it allows appointments and surgeries to be lost by refusing to listen to unions and communities, concluding that the socialists and their allies "are destroying public healthcare".
