The doctors' strike forces the cancellation of 5,247 appointments and 169 operations

PalmThe second day of the third national strike of 2025 by medical professionals saw very high participation in the Balearic Islands, practically identical to yesterday's, according to Simebal, the largest union: 85% participation in hospitals and up to 100% in anesthesiology units, while in primary care, the workload was exacerbated by the flu season. The strike, which will continue until Friday, is part of the nationwide protest against the draft Framework Statute for Statutory Personnel of the National Health System, prepared by the Ministry of Health. So far, in Mallorca, the strike has forced the cancellation of 120 surgeries, 2,343 hospital appointments, 324 radiological tests, 53 diagnostic tests, and 2,253 primary care appointments. In Ibiza and Formentera: 28 surgeries, 149 hospital appointments, 54 radiological tests, 24 diagnostic tests, and 634 primary care appointments. And in Menorca: 21 operations, 232 hospital appointments, 11 radiological tests, 3 diagnostic tests, and 107 primary care appointments.

On Tuesday, the strike resulted in 72 canceled operations. According to data from IB-Salut (Balearic Islands Health Service), 1,662 hospital appointments, 207 radiological tests, 79 diagnostic tests, and 2,849 primary care appointments were also suspended. To guarantee essential care, the Government has established minimum services that fully cover emergencies and critical services such as Oncology, Radiotherapy, Dialysis, Oncological Surgery, Day Hospital, and Hospital Pharmacy, in addition to on-call shifts and emergency services (PAC/SUAP/061). Furthermore, each primary care center must have at least one doctor and one pediatrician on duty in the morning, with additional reinforcements in areas with more patients.

The claims

Doctors are denouncing the draft legislation for failing to recognize the unique nature of their profession and for not guaranteeing decent working conditions. They criticize the excessive workload, the precariousness of on-call shifts, the lack of fair compensation, and the complete absence of career advancement opportunities. They also denounce the intention of the Ministry, headed by Mónica García (Sumar), to prevent department heads and first-year residents from working simultaneously in both the public and private sectors. This is the third protest of 2025, following an initial strike in May/June and a second one on October 3rd, all of which saw significant participation, according to Simebal.

Among their main demands, doctors are calling for their own statute with specific representatives, a professional classification that recognizes the MECES III level, that on-call shifts be considered paid overtime and count towards retirement, the elimination of practices such as forced transfers and "service needs," and a service-based system. The president of Simebal, Miguel Lázaro, stated that the new draft "is regressive, penalizes doctors, and does not solve the problems of public healthcare. Instead of improving, it takes away rights and does not stem the exodus of professionals."