Junta allocates 316 million euros to modernise healthcare management in Andalucía with new technologies

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The regional government's new digital strategy will see a new virtual health card rolled out and be completed within five years

Héctor Barbotta

Seville

Wednesday, 24 December 2025, 09:14

The regional ministry of health in Andalucía plans to invest 316 million euros to introduce new technologies into public healthcare management systems, enabling the implementation of innovations such as digital health cards, medical consultations by videoconference calls and telemedical services.

The digital health strategy was approved by the Junta's governing council on Tuesday and will be launched next year with an initial investment of 144 million euros for 2026. The goal is for it to be fully operational by 2030.

The regional health minister, Antonio Sanz, explained that this strategy will involve the massive incorporation of new technologies into healthcare management and will allow for the adaptation of management to a new state of affairs conditioned not only by technological advances applied to medicine, but also by a reality that is very different from that of over three decades ago when the Servicio Andaluz de Salud (SAS) was launched. Unlike then, there is now an aging population, different diseases and different expectations and demands from users. "All this makes it necessary to update the system," acknowledged Sanz, adding that the strategy consists of the application of technology and the value of data and knowledge.

According to Sanz, the implementation of the strategy will improve accessibility, the management of each patient's medical history, greater access to new tools and the introduction of telemedicine, telecare and telemonitoring.

Virtual health card

One of the new features to be introduced, launching in the first half of next year, is the introduction of the new virtual health card. This digital card will allow all health-related procedures to be carried out from a mobile phone and will make it possible for registered patients to obtain their medication from any pharmacy in Spain.

The digital health strategy, which the regional minister says is based on values such as efficiency, shared responsibility, transparency, ethics, accessibility, sustainability, participation and quality of care, has four general objectives. The first is to improve decision-making by leveraging the value and quality of available data and knowledge. The next is driving the digital transformation of the SAS. Thirdly, to strengthen the capabilities of the SAS and modernise healthcare. Lastly, to foster innovation within the digital ecosystem of the healthcare system, "supporting participation in and the development of transformative initiatives".

The strategy also implements six corporate digital programmes that bring together the digital initiatives already under way: advanced analytics, cyber security, change management and training, management and support, technology infrastructure and information systems.