The government of Madrid has inaugurated a gigantic hospital …

The government of Madrid inaugurated a gigantic public hospital under criticism from the opposition and trade unions because much of the structure is still empty. Isabel Zendal Hospital, known as the “Pandemic Hospital”, was built in three months by the government of Isabel Diaz Ayuso, of the People’s Party (PP). Only one of its four 80,000 square meter wings will initially open with 240 beds. Despite the police, dozens of medical professionals and protesters arrived at the scene to report that the final project has doubled the amount initially planned. The approximate cost of the work was $ 120 million.

The new medical center is located very close to the international airport of the Spanish capital. Still empty and of an enormous structure, through its huge windows you can still see cables hanging from the ceiling. Its construction began on July 7 and it was first defined as a “pandemic hospital”. However, it subsequently had to be reclassified in the “emergency hospital” category because there was no history of hospital under this nomenclature. Last spring Madrid was the epicenter of the first wave of the pandemic in Spain. Its health system has been overwhelmed by the influx of patients into hospitals.

Madrid’s regional government has said it wants to strengthen the national health system. During the opening ceremony, the regional authorities greeted the new medical center. The president of the community said that it is suitable for all situations that may arise, such as disasters and new epidemics. He also indicated that this will help reduce waiting lists in public health. “Sorry for the criticism. We save lives“said Díaz Ayuso. He also underlined that protests for the construction of the medical center responded to political sectarianism.

For their part, health workers described the project as unnecessary. “A hospital that we consider unnecessary is going to be inaugurated. There are unused beds in other hospitals“said Olga Álvarez, laboratory technician at Gregorio Marañón Hospital in Madrid and member of the MATS health union. The medical staff unions argued that the investment should have been aimed at support a severely damaged public health system through years of spending cuts. The workers authorized to work on the site so far are a group of 116 volunteers which is equivalent to one sixth of the positions needed. The Ayuso administration did not say whether it would hire more staff for its operation. Spain is one of the countries hardest hit by the epidemic with more than 45,000 deaths and 1.64 million cases diagnosed.