6000 Covid frontline health workers to be let go in Spain

6,000 Spanish health workers who worked on the frontlines during the Covid-19 pandemic will find themselves unemployed from this Friday onwards.

“We inform you that the notification of your dismissal dated March 31, 2022 is available,” said a short and concise text message sent by the Community of Madrid. 

These workers, who will find themselves jobless from Friday April 1, after being on the frontline of the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic for over two years, are calling their current alternatives “Garbage contracts”. These jobs would see them covering for other health workers during temporary sick leave, entering private healthcare or moving to other communities to search for work.

The Association of Doctors and Higher Graduates of Madrid (AMYTS) are calling the layoffs, which include 400 doctors, an absolute disaster, noting that most of the 6000 professionals were part of hospital staff before the Covid-19 pandemic. Marco Gonzalez, an AMYTS spokesman stated: “People are now going to try and earn a living with extremely precarious employment contracts”

Francisco Galeano, a doctor at the Gregorio Marañón Hospital in Badajoz, was among the 6,000 frontline Covid-19 workers to receive this message notifying him of his dismissal. 

 Galeano said that Hospital management has offered him 40% of his previous annual contract: “That means working two days a week and earning around 700 euros a month. You can’t live on that”

He warned that patients will also be affected by these dismissals: “There will be a lack of doctors to attend those admitted to hospital. Patients will suffer the consequences.” 

Nine people in his team had covid contracts. Four of them have lost their jobs.