Castilla-La Mancha Advances Healthcare Security While Málaga Faces Rising Threats to Medical Staff
Castilla-La Mancha plans to introduce a dedicated healthcare security director by 2026, pioneering efforts to reduce violence against medical staff, while Málaga health workers continue to face serious threats.
- • Castilla-La Mancha's SESCAM will appoint the first healthcare security director in Spain by 2026 to enhance prevention measures.
- • SESCAM boasts aggression rates below the national average (16.13 vs. 24.61 per 1,000 professionals in 2024) and received national recognition for its efforts.
- • In Málaga's Miraflores de los Ángeles health center, two doctors and a nurse were threatened between October and November, with police involved.
- • The Medical Union of Málaga reports 51 aggressions against doctors this year, highlighting ongoing security challenges for healthcare workers.
Key details
In Spain's ongoing efforts to enhance healthcare worker safety, Castilla-La Mancha is set to pioneer a new administrative security role in 2026, even as medical staff in Málaga confront escalating threats. Íñigo Cortázar, General Director of Human Resources and Transformation at SESCAM, announced the introduction of a security director aimed at improving prevention of aggression against healthcare personnel. This role will be the first of its kind within Spain’s national health system, coordinating all security services within the Castilla-La Mancha Health Service and working alongside public security agencies.
Cortázar highlighted that SESCAM maintains aggression rates significantly below the national average, with 16.48 and 16.13 incidents per 1,000 professionals in 2023 and 2024 respectively, compared to the broader national rates of 24.05 and 24.61. The region’s extensive preventive measures and dedicated organizational efforts have garnered national recognition, including an award on October 24 for combating aggression against healthcare workers through legal support and passive security enhancements. He stressed the government's zero-tolerance stance on violence, calling for joint action by administrations, professionals, and society.
In stark contrast, the health center of Miraflores de los Ángeles in Málaga has witnessed a series of alarming attacks. Between October and November, two doctors and a nurse suffered verbal threats and intimidation from patients. Incidents include a nurse chased and threatened by a patient’s caregiver during a home visit, a doctor threatened over prescription disagreements, and another doctor facing attempted physical assault demanding immediate attention. Police involvement was necessary in each serious case. The Medical Union of Málaga (SMM) reports 51 aggressions against doctors in the region this year alone, underlining the urgent need for systemic responses to protect healthcare workers.
These developments highlight a national health sector striving to reduce violence against staff through innovation and prevention in some regions, while confronting ongoing risks and calls for protection in others.
This article was synthesized and translated from native language sources to provide English-speaking readers with local perspectives.