A new wave of scandal is unfolding in Andalusia over breast cancer detection. The women’s association, uniting patients diagnosed with the disease, has decided to sue the regional health authorities. The reason: numerous failures in the screening system that resulted in delayed diagnoses for dozens, and possibly hundreds, of women.
On Tuesday morning, those affected gathered in Seville to discuss details of the future legal action. The association’s leadership is convinced that patients themselves should initiate the proceedings, since this concerns health and lives. This is already the third complaint submitted to local authorities, but this time it is backed by women who have directly suffered from these failures.
Among those at the meeting were women whose relatives died after late detection of the disease. The lawyer representing the victims said that different legal options are being considered, both collective and individual lawsuits. There are also plans to file property claims against the administration. Around 60 women from various parts of Andalusia attended the meeting, with several more joining online. The association continues to receive hundreds of reports—with over 400 emails received so far.
The first errors were detected just a week ago, but the number quickly rose to around fifty cases. It remains unclear how many women did not receive timely notifications about the need for a follow-up examination. Authorities have begun calling around 2,000 patients whose scans had raised concerns but were not properly processed. Only after this effort is completed will the full scale of the problem become clear.
A lawyer noted that none of the women at the meeting had received a call from medical staff to clarify their situation. Officials have yet to explain exactly where the failure occurred. The association is demanding a review of all procedures and a new round of examinations for all women in the region.
Authorities promise emergency measures. Government representatives state that they will not cut costs in resolving the issue. The president of the autonomous region hinted at possible personnel changes but is not planning to dismiss the head of healthcare for now. Meanwhile, the opposition is demanding an investigation and accuses the authorities of trying to cover up the scandal. Some parties have already appealed to the prosecutor’s office, pointing to possible misconduct by officials.
A request is being prepared in parliament to create a special commission to investigate all the circumstances. Opposition forces are calling for the resignation of the regional leadership and criticizing the sluggishness of the healthcare system. The scandal is escalating on the eve of elections, intensifying the political struggle surrounding it.
