Editorial: Not fit for purpose

A LOT of things are dismissed in Spain with a shrug of the shoulders and the comment “Spain is different.” But on this occasion, Spain needs to act. Not only has a Spanish nurse contracted Ebola but it appears that Spanish hospitals were not prepared to treat the deadly disease. It is claimed that the nurse in question, who is in a serious condition at a Madrid hospital, touched her face when she removed her protective clothing and a doctor has alleged that his protective clothing was not up to standard. There have been allegations that  cuts to the National Health Service in Spain have also hit patient care. The list goes on. But the Spanish government, shrug their shoulders and blame human error for the incident. Granted it may have come about as a result of human error but it is still an outrageous state of affairs. If even half the allegations which have been made by medical staff and union representatives are true, then the government has a case to answer. Someone should resign. Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy called for calm yesterday which is all very well but the Spanish public want assurances. If the Health Service is not fit for purpose to treat Ebola cases then urgent action is needed. What is the point of bringing Spanish missionaries home from Africa when they have been infected with the disease, when Spanish hospitals are unable to treat them? This is a scandalous state of affairs and as I said earlier this week, someone, somewhere in Madrid should be pondering their future. Spain is in the spotlight once again for all the wrong reasons.