María Jesús Montero, current First Vice President of the Government, Minister of Finance and General Secretary of the Andalusian Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE), was responsible for the Ministry of Health of the Andalusian Regional Government y entre 2004 2013During that decade, the Andalusian public health experienced its most critical period: Huntsman closed 600 hospital beds, dismantled the public system with a 15% cut in the health budget y hid more than half a million patients on waiting lists.
Although the Andalusian population increased between 2010 and 2013, hospitals saw their healthcare capacity reduced. According to data from the Ministry of Health, Andalusian public hospitals had 15.956 beds in 2010. Three years later, after Montero's departure from the health ministry, the number fell to 15.354 beds. The biggest cut occurred in 2012, with the closure of 621 beds in a single year, almost 4% of the total..
La The situation did not improve when Montero took over as Minister of Finance. (2013-2018). In 2018,, the last year of the socialist government before the arrival of Juanma Moreno, The number of beds stood at 15.284, which is 672 fewer than in 2010.In contrast, in 2023, under the current Andalusian government, 16.025 hospital beds were registered.
540.833 "hidden" patients to Montero's shame
One of the most controversial aspects of Montero's administration was the concealment of patients on waiting lists. According to official data from the Ministry of Health, in 2019 it was discovered that 540.833 Andalusians were not on the official waiting lists, which represented 60% of the total number of people waiting for an appointment..
This practice consisted of informing the Ministry of Health only of patients waiting for procedures with a maximum guaranteed time (180 days), excluding those waiting for procedures without guaranteed deadlines, appointments with specialists without an assigned date, and those who were referred to affiliated hospitals but not treated. The actual number of people waiting was more than double the official figure..
Staff cuts and job insecurity
During the period 2011-2013, Under the direct management of María Jesús Montero, the Andalusian Health Service (SAS) lost 7.773 professionals, according to a report from the Andalusian Court of Auditors. The reduction affected all categories: 1.286 doctors, 1.919 nurses, 1.609 administrative staff, and 1.266 nursing assistants. The total workforce was reduced by 8,2%..
At the same time, 109 senior healthcare officials received salaries above the legal limit. The Court of Auditors demanded the return of more than two million euros. While essential staff were being cut, healthcare management was irregularly increasing its income..
The deterioration of the system was also reflected in the budgets. In 2008, healthcare was allocated €10.307 billion. In 2013, that figure fell to €8.811 billion, a 15% reduction. The largest annual cut occurred between 2010 and 2011, with a €566 million reduction in a single fiscal year. In comparison, in 2022 the healthcare budget reached €13.092 billion.
Medical guards and working conditions
The working conditions of healthcare professionals were also severely affected. In 2012, according to the Granada Medical Union's Study Center, Andalusian doctors were the lowest paid in Spain for their on-call duties: 15,47 euros per hour compared to a national average of 21,84 eurosIn Murcia, for example, the hourly rate for on-call work was 26,61 euros.
Vicente Matas, spokesperson for CESM, was blunt: "María Jesús Montero was a disastrous advisorThere were contracts for days, weeks, Monday through Friday. A lot of precariousness." Furthermore, only 50% of the Medical Residents (MIRs) who trained in Andalusia stayed to work in the region.
The failed drug auction
In 2011, Montero implemented the drug auction system in Andalusia. Doctors were forced to prescribe by active ingredient, and pharmacies were required to dispense the cheapest drug awarded at auction. The system caused serious supply problemsInexperienced companies were winning tenders and were unable to supply pharmacies. The measure was repealed by the Andalusian government in 2020.
Now, from the central Government, Montero intends to restore a similar system through the new Draft Law on Medicines, approved by the Council of Ministers. The initiative has reopened the debate on its effectiveness and consequences.
Montero: from pride to forgetting his own management
In recent statements, María Jesús Montero stated that "healthcare was the pride of Andalusia" during her term in office, and promised to return it "to the highest level" if the PSOE regains control of the regional government. However, The data from his administration contrast with his current story, since during his leadership of the health system, the region suffered unprecedented cuts, deteriorating quality of care, and a loss of public confidence that resulted in mass protests, such as those led by Granada doctor Jesús Candel, known as "Spiriman," in 2016.
In short, the Montero's legacy at the head of Andalusian public health is marked by Cutbacks, job insecurity, management opacity, and controversial decisions such as drug auctionsHer current promise to restore a healthcare system that she herself helped weaken calls into question the credibility of her proposal and reinforces the contrast with the model of the current Andalusian government, which has reversed many of the measures implemented during her term.
Montero, as a councilor, devastated the public health system by cutting 1.500 billion euros in Andalusia and laying off 7.700 healthcare workers... and now they're waving a banner, occupying a position that doesn't belong to them.
Meanwhile, we are trying to rebuild the healthcare system by dedicating 73% more resources. pic.twitter.com/PXh00CfiOo
—Juanma Moreno (@JuanMa_Moreno) April 10, 2025
