The signatory of the Madrid nursing home protocols points the finger at Ayuso's government
Carlos Mur assures the judge that the Minister of Health was aware of it
MadridA Madrid court continues its investigation into the protocols in place in the Community of Madrid during the pandemic that restricted the transfer of elderly residents from care homes to hospitals, effectively denying them healthcare. Due to the coronavirus, 7,291 people died in care homes. On Monday, Carlos Mur, who is under investigation in the case and was the Director of Social and Healthcare Coordination at the time, testified and began pointing fingers at higher levels of the administration. For the private prosecution, led by the Marea de Residencias (Care Home Tide) movement, his testimony represents a significant step forward, despite revealing a strategy of evading responsibility among those involved in healthcare management. After four failed attempts to get him to testify, he finally did so via videoconference from Andorra.
Carlos Mur, who only answered questions from his defense attorney, the prosecution, and the judge, asserted that he was not responsible for the protocols and stated that they were drafted by geriatrician Javier Martínez Peromingo and 22 other professionals with "extensive clinical experience." He explained that his role was limited to coordination, review, and signing, and that once they were completed, he sent them to the then Deputy Minister of Health, Ana Dávila, who is the current Minister. Furthermore, his predecessor, Enrique Ruiz Escudero, was aware of their content. "It seems they're passing the buck," lamented Alejandra Jacinto, the lawyer for the Nursing Home Tide movement, as she left the courthouse. She was referring to Carlos Mur's version of events, in contrast to the statement by Javier Martínez Peromingo, who acknowledged that he was the originator of the protocols but blamed Mur for their discriminatory nature.
Furthermore, Mur admitted that the medicalization of nursing homes promised by the Madrid government never materialized. He argued that the protocols only made sense if the nursing homes were properly staffed with medical personnel, which was not the case. He also acknowledged that the Amavir Valdebernardo nursing home—the investigation focuses on the death of Ángela Armingol's father there, which is the origin of the lawsuit—did not have sufficient medical resources to care for the residents.
Más Madrid and the PSOE blame Ayuso.
Following the release of the statement, Más Madrid and the PSOE (Spanish Socialist Workers' Party) have directly targeted Isabel Díaz Ayuso. "She wants to cover up what happened in the nursing homes because she has too much to hide," Más Madrid denounced. "They will pay for their lack of humanity," declared the minister and leader of the Madrid socialists, Óscar López. "This confirms that the shameful protocols existed, were a political decision, and have political responsibility," proclaimed Manuela Bergeron, leader of Más Madrid in the regional parliament. She demanded that the judicial investigation continue so that there is "truth, justice, and reparations" for the victims. From the PSOE, the spokesperson in the Madrid Assembly, Mar Espinar, lashed out at Ayuso: "It is sad that we have a president who allowed this to happen and who has no intention of doing anything to guarantee that the elderly can live well in nursing homes."
