The Madrid justice condemns the Community for not protecting the doctors of the health centers

Two neighbors walk through a health center in the region that was closed during Holy Week.Víctor Sainz

The Superior Court of Justice of Madrid (TSJM) has estimated that the Community of Madrid “has violated the rights of Primary Care physicians and pediatricians, in terms of physical integrity and health, by not having fully equipped them with the means and protection measures in their workplace ”.

In a ruling dated March 23, the Court has considered in part the lawsuit filed against the Madrid Ministry of Health by the Primary Care union Se Mueve, which was also joined by the unions CC OO, UGT, Amyts, CSIT -Unión Profesional, AFEM and CSIF.

The Madrid high court considers that the region chaired by Isabel Díaz Ayuso has failed to comply with “its obligations regarding the prevention of occupational risks, the assessment of the workload of said group and the evaluation of the jobs of Primary Care physicians and pediatricians, assessing their risks and determining the workload ”, and that it did not do what it should in terms of“ establishing a staff accordingly and covering the existing vacancies in it ”.

The magistrates condemn the Community of Madrid to draw up "immediately an occupational risk prevention plan" to solve these problems.

The plan, according to the ruling of the TSJM, must set the quotas, the maximum number of patients to attend per working day and the minimum time dedicated to each one.

There is an appeal against the sentence, which must be presented within five days of notification.

The spokeswoman for the union Se Mueve, Concha Herranz, has indicated that working conditions have an impact on patient care.

The lawsuit was filed on December 3, 2020, but the decision to file it was made in February, just before the health crisis.

"Without the pandemic we would be in court and the courts would have failed the same," said the spokeswoman.

Justice, he assures, has given "a slap on the wrist" to the counseling led by Enrique Ruiz Escudero in matters of occupational risk prevention on how to protect its workers.

The Executive chaired by Isabel Díaz Ayuso is below the Spanish average in public health spending, it is the community with the lowest percentage of invested GDP, 3.6%;

it is the second behind Andalusia (1,212 euros) that spends the least per inhabitant, 1,274 euros;

and the third autonomy that invests the least in the remuneration of its professionals.