The Andalusian Government has located 90% of late breast cancer diagnoses in a single hospital, the Virgen de Rocío in Seville, the largest in the autonomous community, and the remaining 10% in Málaga and Jerez de la Frontera (Cádiz). Around 1,800 of the 2,000 women who were unaware for months or years that their cancer screening had returned a “doubtful” or “inconclusive” result – “benign” in 98% of cases – were patients at this hospital.
The spokesperson for the Board and Minister of the Treasury, Carolina España, has assured that since last Thursday the health centers have been calling, one by one, those affected to summon them for a second review test within a period of “seven or eight weeks.” The goal is for everyone to have a clear definitive diagnosis by November 30.
“If I were a woman who had an inconclusive diagnosis, I would like them to call me to do a second check-up test,” said the spokesperson, who described this crisis as “the most delicate and complicated” they have experienced since Juan Manuel Moreno ruled. Regarding this period of seven or eight weeks, Spain has clarified that “there will be women who will be called before” and “it will be done progressively” when the radiology staff is expanded.
The Junta de Andalucía has presented a “shock plan” with an extraordinary budget allocation of 12 million euros for the early detection program for breast cancer. The spokesperson has admitted that they are still unaware of the “errors” of the prevention protocol, yet she has announced that they are going to modify it so that, from now on, it will be “mandatory” for doctors to inform patients with “inconclusive lesions” during cancer screening. The Ministry of Health has sent a guideline to all hospitals so that, from now on, they act according to this new criterion.
The calls to the 2,000 affected and the priority planning of the second contrast tests will force the Andalusian Health Service (SAS) to extend the working hours of the professionals who are now in charge of breast cancer screening, aware that there is a “lack of radiologists” and specialists. The Board hopes to be able to have more time from the professionals they already have and that, on a “voluntary” basis, they will offer to do “overtime” in the afternoons and work on weekends.
In the longer term, the Andalusian Executive intends to expand the staff of the breast cancer units with 119 new hires: 65 radiodiagnostic specialists, 20 nurses, 18 radiodiagnostic technicians and 16 administrative assistant technicians.
The Minister of Health, Rocío Hernández, has not appeared to offer explanations about the scandal that has forced the president himself to apologize publicly, nor to give details of the investigation that began a week ago or the details of the plan. Spain has excused his absence because, at the time of the press conference after the Government Council, Hernández went to the Virgen del Rocío to coordinate with the hospital managers on the implementation of the plan.
The Moreno Government faces two judicial fronts following complaints from IU and Adelante Andalucía that accuse several senior officials, among other crimes, of “reckless homicide.” The Amama association, which uncovered the scandal of women with a late diagnosis of breast cancer, is finalizing a collective lawsuit or individual complaints for the “serious negligence” of the SAS. About 60 affected women met on Thursday with the association's legal team who assured that none of them had yet received a call from the Board. “Between tomorrow and the day after tomorrow, everyone will have been called,” said the spokesperson.