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  • Health: Spain ignored calls from the WHO and the EU to collect medical supplies against the coronavirus

The autonomous communities did not receive any indication from the Ministry of Health in February to collect medical supplies, according to sources from various regional governments to EL MUNDO. This was recommended at the time by the World Health Organization (WHO), in preventing the coronavirus epidemic from skyrocketing, as it later occurred. But Minister Salvador Illa ignored it.

This is something that was confirmed yesterday by María Neira , WHO Director of Public Health. "There have been many calls to prepare" from countries "against the virus," after making "the highest possible health alert" possible, he said in an interview in Cope. "Although we call for preparation against the epidemic," he clarified, "the truth is that its dimensions are giving us surprises every day." For the leader, "if there is an epidemic that overwhelms us, it reminds us that investing in preparedness is essential." "And it is one of the lessons that all the countries of the world will attend, at a very painful price," he said.

With this information on the table, the autonomies regret that the Executive did not act with foresight, if only for good measure. "No, the Ministry did not ask us to collect", indicate sources from the Xunta de Galicia . Alberto Núñez Feijóo's is one of the governments that unilaterally gathered together. "On March 1 we bought respirators and consumables (masks, gloves ...) worth two million euros," they compare, without wanting to enter criticism "during the state of alarm."

Catalonia did the same, with a centralized purchase at the end of February, to strengthen the supply of hospitals. But he did it "on his own initiative", without indication from the national government, sources from the Generalitat assure.

In the Community of Madrid they confirm that they did not receive any message from the Government encouraging them to collect medical supplies in February. The regional president, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, assures that she took measures on her own, at the beginning of March, because it was "evident that there was a contagion problem." Sources close to Ayuso recall that the Ministry of Health sent a harsh letter to the Ministry on March 7, in response to "the serious situation of shortages" that could become "critical" in a few days, as it happened. "The problem is very serious and we need immediate solutions if we want health workers to be able to continue doing their work, not only to stop the coronavirus, but for regular health care," the letter concluded.

In Castilla y León they see "clearly" that "if the Government had been able to foresee and anticipate the situation, it would have stockpiled sanitary and protective material, but it did not do so". Sources from the environment of Alfonso Fernández Mañueco, President of the Board, assure that it must be the Government of Spain that explains "for what reasons it ignored" the WHO's warnings. "In any case," they clarify, "it is not the time for reproaches, it is the time for all of us to shoulder our shoulders to stop this pandemic and save lives."

Not only the regional executives criticize Salvador Illa for ignoring the collection requests. Opposition leader Pablo Casado denounced him that "when the WHO said to start buying, he refused." "There is no dialogue with the opposition or with the communities or with the social agents," he lamented in Telecinco. What Illa should have done was "anticipate and be humble." "Less arrogance, less arrogance," he summarized.

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  • Salvador Illa
  • Pablo Casado
  • Isabel Díaz Ayuso
  • Spain
  • Madrid's community
  • Catalonia
  • Castilla y León
  • Alfonso Fernández Mañueco
  • Alberto Núñez Feijoo
  • Coronavirus
  • Covid 19

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