The Ministry of Health, in an Ernest Lluch Assembly Hall packed with political representatives, health professionals and the media, hosted this Tuesday the traditional transfer of the ministerial portfolio between the outgoing head of Health, José Manuel Miñonesand the incoming minister, Monica Garcia. This act took place just three hours after the new minister promised her position before the king along with the rest of the members of the new coalition government led by Pedro Sanchez.
During his speech, after receiving the portfolio from Miñones, García sent the message that he will seek to work “side by side” with agents and professionals in the health sector: “My top priority is to work listening.” Furthermore, he has stressed that he wants to “do politics hand in hand with science” and scientific evidence. “Policy that does not go hand in hand with scientific evidence is not politics, it is quackery.”
Furthermore, he has stressed that health not only depends on health, but also on Social determinantsand that for this reason, it will work “to have a clean planet, against inequality, to have decent housing, for good living conditions, for a good salary and, of course, for time to live better.”
In his speech, García also highlighted that his ministry will have commitments and a “spirit of social agreement” with all the autonomous communities and with civil society as a whole. “If there is something that unites us as a country and of which we are proud as a country in these delicate times, it is our public health, and I am going to work hard to reach urgent and necessary agreements“.
One of them, as he has stated, “must be the State pact for the mental health“, together with “the pending task” that exists with the primary care: “It is the greatest emblem of our health system and the one that best represents our spirit of cohesion and equity, but in recent years it has received too many attacks. It is time to repay the debt with our primary care without further delay.” Furthermore, he has highlighted his commitment to “shielding the universality” throughout this legislature.