OVIEDO, Spain – The government of Madrid announced on Friday that it is “reactivating” an emergency hospital in the Spanish capital due to a spike in flu and other respiratory illnesses.
The hospital was built in just 100 days and opened in December 2020 to deal with patients infected with COVID-19, Anadolu Agency (AA) reported.
For months, it dealt with the overflow of flu patients, and also acted as a massive vaccine center.
However, the controversial hospital, which cost around €170 million, according to Spanish daily El Diario, largely fell into disuse as the pandemic faded.
In 2022, the massive hospital was treating an average of just 30 patients per week, according to El Diario.
Yet, with Madrid’s main hospitals on the verge of collapse this week, the government said it will begin opening beds in the hospital’s large, open hall.
Earlier this week, doctors told Spanish media that patients were waiting for days to be admitted to hospitals because all the beds were full.
On Wednesday, Madrid’s 5,000 frustrated primary care doctors and pediatricians also voted to go on strike again, saying they are overwhelmed and do not have enough time to treat patients properly.
While doctors note the post-Christmas holiday spike in respiratory illnesses, union members say the crisis in Madrid’s healthcare system has been brewing for years, mainly due to a lack of beds and healthcare staff. – Bernama
