Clash between the Basque Government and the Ministry of Health: these are the proposals to respond to the demands of doctors and the lack of professionals

The Basque Government and the Ministry of Health have clashed again. A year ago the Government strongly denounced the Ministry's lack of response when it sent it various proposals  to address the shortage of doctors. "They neither do nor allow us to do so." The issue remains unanswered, as the Government has indicated, and a new front has now opened with the Minister of Health, Monica García, referring to the medical strike.

In the last few hours, the Health Adviser, Alberto Martínez, has complained about the Ministry's management of the strike and has asked the Minister to negotiate, otherwise the Basque Government has expressed its readiness to increase its self-government and take on the transfer of new functions, thereby ensuring regulatory coverage and patient care.

In addition, a few weeks ago, President Pradales addressed health issues at his meeting with Spanish President Pedro Sánchez in La Moncloa and asked him to consider proposals to address the lack of health personnel before the next bilateral meeting.

Approach three plus one

Thus, among other proposals, the Basque Government has proposed to the Ministry to reduce the years of specialisation of family doctors from four to three years, recovering this fourth year of specialisation in subsequent years.

The Government has pointed out that this' three plus one 'approach would mean doubling the number of new professionals in four years and that it is in line with the way in which specialisation is channelled in other European countries.

The Basque Government has also proposed postponing the voluntary retirement of primary care professionals, which would allow them to delay retirement to 72 years.

Euskera at BAME

Thirdly, the Basque Government requests that the MIR (Internal Resident Physician) or MIR (Interno Resident Doctor) should assess the knowledge of the Basque Country in relation to the places in the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country.

The aim is to promote the roots of local professionals so that they can carry out MIR in the Basque Country and ultimately stay in Osakidetza.

The Department of Health believes that these measures — and others already put in place in the Basque Country — can help alleviate the lack of health personnel. The problem is hitting health systems across Europe hard, and Osakidetza is no exception.

On the other hand, a year ago, the Supreme Court rejected the transfer of jurisdiction to facilitate the approval and equivalence of foreign qualifications, which the Department of Health hoped would accelerate the entry of hundreds of foreign doctors into Osakidetza in the coming years.

Now, on the other hand, the Basque Government has focused on the medical strike. "If the Ministry believes that it is not in a position to deal with this negotiation with the medical collective, we demand the ability to have our own Framework Statute," said Health Counselor Alberto Martínez.