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Spain

OUR COVID-19 RESPONSE IN SPAIN

We have now completed and closed our COVID-19 responses in Spain. 

Our teams worked in more than 300 aged care homes with a wide range of activities, including supporting management teams and the authorities, implementing emergency measures to separate COVID-positive or symptomatic residents, supporting disinfection, and training of staff in infection prevention and control (IPC) and risk mitigation. MSF teams worked in Madrid, the Catalonia region (including Barcelona), the Basque country, Castilla y Leon, in Andalucia, Tarragona, Palencia and Asturias. 

During our operations in Spain, our teams set up two health units to support hospitals around Madrid, with a total capacity of 200 beds. The units received patients with moderate cases of COVID-19, helping ease the burden on emergency and intensive care services. These units were run by hospital staff, with our teams providing logistical support and IPC advice to protect healthcare workers and patients. MSF also advised hospitals in Barcelona and the Catalonia region. 

In early June, MSF Spain’s General Director took part in a hearing at the Health Commission of the Congress to highlight the impact of COVID-19 on health professionals. According to the latest data provided by medical associations, more than 51,000 medical professionals in Spain have contracted COVID-19, and 76 have died. With 24 per cent of health professionals testing positive for COVID-19, Spain has the highest recorded health care worker transmission rate.