The Minister of Health and Consumer Affairs of the Government of Andalusia, Rocío Hernández, has only been in office for 45 days but she is already making it clear that one of her priorities will be decongest appointments with family doctors in health centers to speed up care. “The work was already underway [el equipo de la consejera Catalina García] and we will continue working by giving a turn” to primary care, he assured. In this sense, he recognized that “obtaining a regular appointment” with the family doctor “can be difficult” in some areas, especially in rural areas where health coverage is complicated.
In an interview given this Thursday to Canal Sur Radio, the regional health official opted for “influence education” so as not to collapse the system. Thus, she invited users to think so that they use health care wisely. “The common cold, without an underlying pathology, is something for which one should perhaps not go to the doctor,” he assured.
For Councilor Rocío Hernández, one of her priorities is “to improve accessibility to primary care.”It is very important that citizens have peace of mind knowing that they can attend“, he stressed. In this regard, he recalled that as a health professional, he has “always” worked in this area, the first gateway to the system. She is a doctor of medicine and surgery and a specialist in pediatrics and since June 2022, before landing at the Ministry, she has also held the position of president of the Spanish Society of Primary Care Directors (Sedap).
In the interview with Canal Sur Radio, they told the councilor that some workers of the public channel had been summoned by the Andalusian Health Service (SAS). on a Sunday to have an MRI or ultrasound. In this regard, Hernández explained that “health workers are still working 24 hours a day, seven days a week.” The equipment is there, the staff is there, and it may not be so strange to schedule a Saturday or Sunday for a diagnostic test.
Salary improvements for health workers
Regarding the salary of health professionals, the advisor assured that The issue has already been raised with trade union organisations and professional associations.with whom he already had meetings last August. “We are emphasizing this,” said Rocío Hernández, who acknowledged that one of the formulas being considered is the establishment of “incentives”, especially in areas with difficult coverage.
Finally, the advisor promised a “comprehensive approach” to mental health, refuting criticism from left-wing political groups, who warned that mental health had “disappeared” from the ministry’s organizational chart. The adviser stressed the need for dialogue with “unconstructive criticism that leads nowhere”. In any case, they cause boredom among citizens.
