Marciano Sánchez Bayle: paediatrician and tireless defender of Spain’s universal healthcare system

Marciano Sánchez Bayle, a paediatrician and nephrologist, was a leading figure in the defence of Spain’s public healthcare system, dedicating his life to the fight for equitable and accessible healthcare for all. He was founder, former president, and spokesperson of the Federation of Associations for the Defence of Public Healthcare (FADSP). He also held a senior position at Hospital Infantil Universitario Niño Jesús, a leading public paediatric referral hospital in Madrid, where he worked until his retirement in 2018.

The FADSP was founded in 1981, when Spain was in the early years of its transition to democracy, and it played a crucial role in the creation of the country’s public healthcare system. Its advocacy efforts contributed to the establishment of the national health system through the General Health Act of 1986. This law was instrumental in universalising healthcare, shifting funding from social security contributions to general taxation.

Before 1986, Spain’s healthcare system relied on coverage based on social security, charity hospitals, and private care, resulting in notable inequalities. The 1986 reform marked the transition to a universal public system, ensuring access based on …