Spain faces protests over mammogram scandal

Thousands of people protested in Seville on Sunday after revelations that 2,300 women were not given the results of mammogram tests showing abnormalities that required follow-up care.

The demonstrations targeted Andalusia’s regional government after it emerged that women who had mammograms – X-ray scans used to detect breast cancer – at public hospitals in recent years were not told about abnormal or inconclusive findings.

All affected tests showed issues that required further examination, meaning potential cancer cases went undetected.

Regional authorities have not yet given a clear explanation but said they plan to increase staffing in mammography units — a move many patients and campaigners say is inadequate.

The scandal has triggered protests across several Andalusian cities this month, with local media reporting thousands of participants.

It has also heightened tensions between Spain’s left-wing central government in Madrid and the conservative regional authorities who oversee public healthcare in Andalusia under the country’s decentralised system.

AMAMA, a Seville-based association of women with breast cancer, organised Sunday’s protest outside the San Telmo Palace, the regional government’s headquarters.

“No forgetting, no forgiveness, Bonilla resign!” protesters chanted, calling for the resignation of Andalusia’s leader Juan Manuel Moreno Bonilla.

He has faced criticism for his handling of the crisis, which led to the resignation of his health minister earlier this month.

Protesters also shouted “our lives cannot wait” and “screening errors are an attack”, according to an AFP reporter at the scene.

Some patients have already announced plans to file complaints against the regional government.

Bonilla, whose term ends next year, apologised to affected patients earlier this month.

Spain’s health ministry has announced an in-depth review of cancer screening programmes nationwide, beginning with those in Andalusia.

The screening failures mark a serious breach in Spain’s public health system, where early detection through routine mammograms is vital for successful breast cancer treatment.

Experts warn that delays in diagnosis can have a major impact on treatment outcomes and survival rates.