Pamplona (EFE).- The Minister of Health, Santos Induráin, has insisted this Thursday that his roadmap “is very clear” and has assured that they continue “with open lines and listening” with the two strike committees, the of the Medical Union and the inter-union, to reach agreements for the benefit of the health system, professionals and citizens.
It is a matter, as he has indicated in statements to the media, of taking the solutions to the channels that are established, which are “the sectoral table that is convened next Tuesday, the general table on Friday the 17th and those regulatory measures that arise from the agreements will go to Parliament. It is a road map that is clear », he has asserted.
In relation to the strike called by the SMN and in view of the differences expressed by the parties regarding fundamental demands, he stated that there is “a very important dialogue that affects professionals and the health system, which is the overload, the organization of the work centers, there is another part that is the remuneration that a specific part of the doctors has and another that affects the rest of the professionals.
Regarding the overload, he pointed out that in other communities agreements are being reached not to call strikes or call them off with less ambitious measures than those proposed in Navarra.
Thus, he has pointed out that “none has dropped below 35 patient days, there are 35, 36, 37, none has more than ten minutes in face-to-face consultation” and in Navarra it is in “twelve minutes and that is a quality criterion important”.
The ninth day of strike begins
The indefinite strike called by the Navarra Medical Union (SMN) enters its ninth day, in which the doctors continue to hold a round of assemblies to discuss negotiations with the Provincial Government Health Department.
After the assembly on Wednesday at the García Orcoyen hospital in Estella, meetings will take place this Thursday at the University Hospital of Navarra and the Reina Sofía Hospital, and on Friday at the Ubarmin Clinic.
Primary Care doctors, hospitals, mental health units and MIR doctors from Navarra are summoned to these assemblies.
The approaches of the Department of Health and the SMN are still very far apart in the remuneration aspect, since, while the Government of Navarra proposes a linear increase of 400 euros per month, the union, in its latest offer, has demanded one of 1,000 euros with effect from January 1, 2023.
While the assemblies are being held, which according to the union are having a “record” attendance, the representation of the doctors is working on a new counterproposal to the Department of Health, although at the moment no meetings are scheduled for the weekend or Monday, They have reported from the SMN.
The union’s latest proposal has been flatly rejected by the Government of Navarra, whose spokesman, Javier Remírez, has issued an ultimatum to the SMN and has warned that the Administration’s offer is final: «Every effort has already been made possible. It is the moment of decisions. You have to see whether to assume or not ».