We do not know the exact numbers of infected and dead people in nursing homes, whether they are publicly or privately run. We have a general problem of transparency, as with the daily dance of the official number of deaths from the coronavirus, which is also lower than the real number by at least 50%.
But at last, and as a result of a lively political debate in the Control Plenary Session of the General Assembly of Alava, the figures for residences in this foral territory have come to light.
The rate of infection in users of public residences in Álava is 27% of their residents and that of users of private residences 11%. Directly managed public places are 779 and privately managed places are 2,800. Deaths in the public sector were 8% and in the private sector 2.5%.
Not very convincing explanations have been given about possible differences in average ages, in greater or lesser vulnerability of the residents, which would have to be demonstrated. It has also been argued that professionals in public care homes are better trained and staff ratios are higher, which would go directly against the relative mismanagement of these centres.
On another note, the cost of the centres under provincial ownership is supposed to be double that of private schools.. These comparative data are essential to make decisions for the future of post-coronavirus residencies.
We join the Spanish Society of Geriatrics and Gerontology to know the reality of what is happening in all Spanish regions and provinces.
Second Vice-President and Minister for Social Rights and Agenda 2030, Pablo IglesiasThe European Commission has announced the implementation of far-reaching measures in the residential sector, but most significant within this is its plan to limit private management of care homes within the Reconstruction Pact.
In view of the above, can the vice-president make the elderly and all Spaniards share in the health and economic dataThe latter are undoubtedly contrary to the ones described here, on which it bases its plan?
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Eduardo Rodríguez Rovira
Honorary President of the Spanish Confederation of Organisations for the Elderly (CEOMA).