THE Valencian government will appeal against a landmark court ruling that awarded up to €49,180 each to 154 Alicante health workers who were short of PPE gear in the COVID-19 pandemic.
As previously reported by the Olive Press, an Alicante court on Tuesday found in favour of the claim in Spain’s first pandemic compensation award.
The regional Medical Union took action against the Valencian Health Ministry over the lack of protective equipment for hospital and health centre staff in Alicante between March and May 2020.
Speaking on Wednesday, regional president Ximo Puig said: ”We will resort to defend the general interest of Valencians.”
“We do not agree with this approach but we do apologise to the professionals who did not have enough protection,” he added.
Ximo Puig continued: “It was obvious that it was an extraordinary situation and nobody could think about the magnitude of the pandemic”
The president said that the Valencian Community ‘reacted quickly’ and was one of the first Spanish regions to get supplies and protection material from overseas, including the chartering of planes.
Opposition parties in the Valencian Community have called for the resignation of health minister, Ana Barcelo.
The Partido Popular health spokesman, Jose Juan Zaplana, claimed that ‘Puig and Barcelo are a danger to health and put a price on the health of Valencians’.
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