Madrid Prosecutor's Office Reopens Investigations into COVID-19 Related Deaths in Care Homes
Five years after the onset of the pandemic, new inquiries are launched into care home management and healthcare denial.
In March 2023, coinciding with the five-year anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic's onset, the Prosecutor's Office of the Community of Madrid announced the reopening of investigations into deaths in care homes that had been previously archived.
A total of 62 complaints against the regional administration concerning the management of care homes had been closed over the past five years.
The decision to revisit these complaints comes amid heightened scrutiny and a public campaign led by a group known as 'Marea de Residencias.' This group released a documentary focusing solely on deaths that occurred in Madrid, intentionally excluding incidents from the rest of Spain.
As part of this renewed inquiry, the Prosecutor's Office has presented nine new cases for investigation, specifically looking into allegations that some regional care homes denied necessary healthcare services due to discriminatory reasons during the pandemic.
Last week, the Provincial Prosecutor's Office, under Pilar Rodríguez Fernández, the Chief Provincial Prosecutor, reopened a case that had been shelved three years prior.
This case involves two former high-ranking officials from the Madrid Regional Health Department.
Following this development, another procedure related to care homes emerged in a Madrid court, also scrutinizing former officials for their management of these facilities.
In contrast to other regions of Spain, including Aragón, Catalonia, and the Basque Country, no approved or implemented protocol for transferring care residents to hospitals was established in Madrid.
Sources from the Community of Madrid indicated that a draft protocol was never fully authorized or enacted.
During the first wave of the pandemic, the regional emergency medical service (SUMMA 112) transferred 11,200 elderly patients from care homes to hospitals.
Prior to the declaration of a state of alarm in Spain, the Community of Madrid established a network of geriatricians from hospitals to serve as liaisons with care homes.
All elderly residents in these facilities who required hospitalization were transferred to hospitals, with no directive issued that suggested otherwise.
The current reopening of investigations is strictly localized to Madrid, with no inquiries being initiated regarding care home management in any other autonomous communities.
A total of 62 complaints against the regional administration concerning the management of care homes had been closed over the past five years.
The decision to revisit these complaints comes amid heightened scrutiny and a public campaign led by a group known as 'Marea de Residencias.' This group released a documentary focusing solely on deaths that occurred in Madrid, intentionally excluding incidents from the rest of Spain.
As part of this renewed inquiry, the Prosecutor's Office has presented nine new cases for investigation, specifically looking into allegations that some regional care homes denied necessary healthcare services due to discriminatory reasons during the pandemic.
Last week, the Provincial Prosecutor's Office, under Pilar Rodríguez Fernández, the Chief Provincial Prosecutor, reopened a case that had been shelved three years prior.
This case involves two former high-ranking officials from the Madrid Regional Health Department.
Following this development, another procedure related to care homes emerged in a Madrid court, also scrutinizing former officials for their management of these facilities.
In contrast to other regions of Spain, including Aragón, Catalonia, and the Basque Country, no approved or implemented protocol for transferring care residents to hospitals was established in Madrid.
Sources from the Community of Madrid indicated that a draft protocol was never fully authorized or enacted.
During the first wave of the pandemic, the regional emergency medical service (SUMMA 112) transferred 11,200 elderly patients from care homes to hospitals.
Prior to the declaration of a state of alarm in Spain, the Community of Madrid established a network of geriatricians from hospitals to serve as liaisons with care homes.
All elderly residents in these facilities who required hospitalization were transferred to hospitals, with no directive issued that suggested otherwise.
The current reopening of investigations is strictly localized to Madrid, with no inquiries being initiated regarding care home management in any other autonomous communities.
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Translated by AI
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