Backlog grows as healthcare technicians in Malaga province stay out on strike

Around 1,600 senior healthcare technicians in Malaga were continuing the strike this week that has severely disrupted testing and analysis services across public hospitals in the province.

The walkout, organised by their SIETeSS senior healthcare technicians' union, has halted more than 30,000 daily medical tests, including blood, urine, stool and image analyses. Local hospitals such as the Regional, Clínico and Costa del Sol have seen blood sample processing fall by more than half, with thousands of specimens at risk of being discarded after going over their validity date.

The technicians - specialists in radiology, pathology, laboratory work, nuclear medicine, and other key areas - say they feel "invisible" despite being essential to the health system's daily functioning. They are demanding fair pay and professional recognition, insisting that their qualifications correspond to category B, approved since 2007, rather than the lower C1 level at which they are still classified.

Participation in the strike has been massive, reaching 90-95% across public and private sectors. The action has forced hospitals to reschedule diagnostic tests, X-rays and even some operations.

The union has warned that unless their demands are addressed, further strikes could follow, as technicians push for long-overdue recognition of their role in Andalucía's healthcare network.