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The demonstration, organised under the slogan ‘Let’s save our public health’, highlighted the growing public unease over what they see as the privatisation and dismantling of Madrid’s public health system.
Organised by the platform ‘Vecinas y vecinos de los barrios y pueblos de la Comunidad de Madrid’, the protest started simultaneously from four strategic points in the capital.
This mass mobilisation reflects the widespread concern about the current state of public healthcare in the city and the policies implemented by the regional government.
Demonstrators criticised the “unbearable delays in primary care” and the shortage of staff.
The manifesto read during the rally denounced the existence of a million people on waiting lists and “tens of thousands of children without a paediatrician assigned to them” in what is Spain’s richest region.
Ricardo Chacón, representative of the organising platform, said the privatisation of health was “not working” and that it was in private economic interests rather than for the benefit of patients.
Luis López, another spokesperson for the group, called for a significant increase in the regional health budget, demanding that at least 25% be earmarked for strengthening primary care.
The organisers emphasised the importance of preventive healthcare as a more economical and effective strategy than focusing resources solely on curative treatments.
This perspective seeks a paradigm shift in health management in Madrid, prioritising the accessibility and quality of primary health care.
Political positioning and controversies surrounding Madrid’s healthcare system
The demonstration had a notable representation of left-wing parties and trade unions supporting citizens’ demands. Reyes Maroto, Socialist spokesperson in the Madrid City Council, urged support for the “thousands of people who are waiting for a medical appointment” and do not have private insurance as an alternative.
Manuela Bergerot, from Más Madrid, offered concrete data on the regional health crisis: 139,000 children without a paediatrician assigned to them and 625,000 patients without a family doctor.
The political leader directly linked this situation to privatisation policies, specifically denouncing the relationship between the Quirón Group and the personal entourage of the president of the Community of Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso.
MEP Irene Montero (Podemos party) added an ethical dimension to the debate, saying that without universal access to quality public healthcare “there is no democracy and no dignity of life”.
Montero also referred to controversy over the Quirón Group’s contracts with Ayuso’s partner, alleging an increase in payments and privatisations coinciding with this personal relationship.
The mobilisation of citizens in defence of Madrid’s public health system is evidence of a growing political polarisation around regional health management. While the demonstrators demand a reversal of privatisation policies.
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