The Ifema hospital in Madrid, popularly known as the ‘miracle hospital’ for having been the largest in Spain during the pandemic and having been built in record time, has closed this Friday. It does so after having treated almost 3,800 patients for coronavirus and 99.1% of them have recovered. Pedro Sánchez, President of the Government, has not come to visit him at any time, although he has received the visit of King Felipe VI.
This hospital center has turned off its lights this Friday in a solemn closing ceremony to which they have attended Isabel Díaz Ayuso, President of the Community of Madrid, and José Luis Martínez Almeida, mayor of Madrid. Tribute has been paid to all the workers and professionals active in the Ifema hospital and to all the patients who have overcome the coronavirus after having passed through this logistics center. Ayuso hopes not to reactivate this field hospital because the Madrid Health «It is reinventing itself in autumn and winter to have its own showcase» and be able to fight a possible second pandemic outbreak later.
The last patients leave the #HospitalIFEMA. Health personnel and professionals who have lived the experience with them say goodbye with emotion. # IFEMAeresTú | #EsteVirusLoParamosUnidos pic.twitter.com/woLdK4cHua
– IFEMA (@feriademadrid) May 1, 2020
«Madrid Health has its own resources and alternatives. We are reinforcing the system for the future, “said the‘ popular ’autonomous president. During his speech, he recalled that Ifema is already part of the History of Madrid after a “miracle hospital” had been set up there, which even cared for a 103-year-old patient and many others, almost all of whom have been cured.
«Like the Puerta de Alcalá, El Escorial or May 2, Ifema is one more symbol of the people of Madrid. It has worked because it has had all the material and human means. Ifema is the hospital of the hospitals and it has been possible because the medical teams have been thanks to the rest of the hospitals. Thanks to the public hospitals, the best in the world, and a system of private hospitals that has also provided resources so that together we could triple the ICUs and fight for life as we have done in Madrid, “he added.
The ‘macro hospital’ has had 1,350 beds, with 16 intensive care, as well as 1,000 health professionals (90% from Primary Care), laundry, cleaning and catering services, through which they have come to enter, more than 3,800 patients, of which 16 died.
IFEMA is one more symbol of the Community of Madrid, an example of everything we Spaniards can do when we have a common goal. pic.twitter.com/vbfpGCHu4c
– Isabel Díaz Ayuso (@IdiazAyuso) May 1, 2020
“A feat”
José Luis Martínez-Almeida has defended the management of the Ifema hospital for having been a “feat” after having given service for 40 days and for having become “a symbol of hope, of a society that is fighting for its future and of not surrender to the pandemic ».
«We cannot let our guard down, we have not defeated the pandemic, but thanks to the effort of Ifema we can look with a little more optimism and hope “, assured the mayor of Madrid, who also thanked this center for having been” the second most important institution in Madrid in economic terms, having lent to host the provisional hospital ».
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