Catalan doctors attest to official figure of those injured during independence vote
They also argue that their professionalism is "unquestionable"
BARCELONAThe Catalan medical profession has strongly criticised Mariano Rajoy’s government. This Friday, the Council of Medical Associations of Catalonia (CCMC) issued a statement declaring the professionalism and independence of its doctors to be "unquestionable" in relation to quantifying the number of injured during the events of October 1. The final count by the Medical Emergencies System [SEM in Catalan] puts the number of injured at 893.
CCMC president Josep Vilaplana called into question reports challenging this figure, declaring that "Catalan doctors attested to what they saw". Vilaplana went on to say that doctors operate in accordance with their code of ethics when treating their patients and that during the 1-O vote "people were injured in Catalonia", to a greater or lesser extent.
The Spanish government was one of the first to question the number of injured during the 1-O, describing it as "a complete fabrication". The public prosecutor also attempted to downplay the severity of the police violence, stating that "only 0.037%" of voters were victims of "alleged mild violence".
According to Vilaplana, what really ought to be called into question is the police crackdown, acting on the direct orders of the Spanish government. The president of the CCMC questioned whether it was the "appropriate" response from "a democratic state in the 21st century".
The CCMC also warned that those reports which called into question the credibility of the emergency services, based on unverified figures provided by anonymous sources, will be passed on to the Board of Journalists. As a consequence, the CCMC has asked its legal counsel to consider taking legal action against those who accused the council of falsifying data.