Osakidetza midwives in Barrualde-Galdakao and Cruces have called for a nine-day strike to protest the lack of professionals

Osakidetza midwivesat the OSI Barrualde-Galdakao ETA Cruceshospital, together with thenursing union SATSE  , have called nine strike days from 17 June to 2 July to report the "serious" lack of professionals in this specialty, both in primary care and in the hospital area.

The call, promoted by midwives and sponsored by SATSE, will be in defence of the health of professionals and women ,9 strike days on 17, 18, 23, 24, 25, 29, 30 and 1 and 2 July.

With the announcement of these new mobilizations, SATSE recalls that the protests and strikes in 2024 A made it possible to create a specific working table in Osakidetza and acknowledges that "thanks to this work progress has been made in unifying agendas, protocols and portfolio of services between health organizations ".

"Two years later we still have no real solution. Important organizational steps have been taken, but today there is a midwife for more than 2,600 women, so it is impossible to guarantee quality care , "SATSE said.

However, SATS and midwives report that "the underlying problem remains unresolved: the lack of recruitment and planning ofprofessionals. "

The Nursing Union has complained that Osakidetza does not yet have adequate planning to cope with planned retirements, nor a real calculation of midwife ratios that will make it possible to properly size care needs.

However, SATSE warns that the shortage of midwives is no longer an exclusive summer problem, but a permanent reality affecting the coverage of leave, leave and day reductions throughout the year.

According to SATSE, this lack of professionals affects all three territories, so it is not ruled out that midwives from other OSIs also join this strike call.

The nursing union has explained that the consequences of lack of midwives have a direct impact on women, as "midwife work is not limited to childbirth, but caters to women between the ages of 14 and 70." 

It has been broken down that in hospitals, midwives attend to obstetric emergencies, childbirth, puerperium and maternal fetal care. In primary care, they perform key functions related to sexual and reproductive health, pregnancy, breastfeeding, menopause, disease prevention, cancer screening, pelvic floor recovery or detection and assistance in situations of male violence.

The shortage of midwives is therefore "a problem that directly affects the health of thousands of women. We cannot allow the lack of foresight to continue to normalize," he said.