The High Inspection of the Ministry of Health has opened an investigation to verify whether irregularities have occurred at the Torrejón de Ardoz Hospital, as announced by the SER Chain and EL PAÍS has confirmed. The ministry led by Mónica García wants to know if public health protection rights have been violated after hearing in which the CEO of Ribera Salud – the company that manages that Madrid public hospital – orders the leadership of the company and the hospital center to lengthen the waiting lists to increase economic benefits.
In parallel, the Minister of Health, Mónica García, has asked the president of the Community of Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, to open two investigations after learning about these audios.
First of all, it demands that the regional president open an “exhaustive” investigation into this health group to confirm that there are no “contractual, healthcare or ethical violations.” If detected, ask that the concession under which this company manages that hospital be immediately terminated and that public management be restored. The minister also asks the popular president to expand this investigation to the rest of the privately managed public hospitals to ensure that these types of practices are “isolated” and are not part of “a broader dynamic.”
“The Government of Spain and this Ministry cannot remain oblivious to facts that, if verified, would seriously compromise the guarantee of equity, quality and universality that must govern all health care,” the minister warned.
For this reason, García says that it is “essential” that the Community of Madrid clarify “urgently” whether the orders given by the CEO of the Ribera Salud group have affected healthcare activity, the referral of patients, surgical response times or contractual commitments with the Madrid Health Service (Sermas).
In this sense, the Madrid Minister of Health, Fátima Matute, committed this Wednesday to . In addition, the regional government sent a “multidisciplinary team” to the Torrejón de Ardoz hospital to check that everything was working correctly. That’s how it was, they said.
However, the audio to which EL PAÍS had access recorded the order given at the end of September by the CEO of the health company to worsen the service to increase income and improve the EVITDA by four or five million. [beneficio antes de intereses, impuestos, depreciaciones y amortizaciones] of the company. “In Torrejón, in the year 22 and 23, we decided as an organization to make an effort to lower the waiting list. The only thing I ask is: let’s retrace our path.”
For the minister, knowing these statements leaves the door open to think that these types of practices may be being replicated in other hospitals in Madrid managed by private companies. “In recent years, different centers managed by other operators – such as the Quirón Salud group – have been the subject of various controversies related to their operating model,” said the minister, referring to the company that manages the most hospital centers in Madrid.
