The Minister of Health, Mónica García, has insisted that the migrants who arrived in Ceuta on July 30 are not carriers of new infectious diseases, but rather it is the situation of overcrowding that increases the risk of pathologies. She has also reminded that ailments such as tuberculosis, scabies, chickenpox, or measles are already part of the epidemiological map in Spain.
"Migrants do not bring diseases. Tuberculosis, scabies, and chickenpox exist in Spain. The conditions of overcrowding are what cause migrants to become ill," she emphasized during her speech at the Health Commission of Congress, convened to analyze the migratory crisis in Ceuta.
In her appearance, García has again denied that the migrant population introduces diseases into the country and has reproached the far-right for years of associating migration, crime, and pathologies, a relationship she has described as "false and xenophobic."
For this reason, she has called for enabling resources and adequate spaces to guarantee the protection of the health of migrant people and to avoid overcrowding. "Having covered spaces, roofs, water, food, toilets, and basic resting conditions constitutes the main humanitarian measure, but also the main public health measure," she has defended.
In this context, she has specified that the risk of transmission of infections within the migrant community in Ceuta is moderate, due to "the health conditions, overcrowding, and homelessness that migrants have faced in recent weeks."
On the other hand, she has pointed out that the threat to the resident population in the autonomous city is low, as specific and separate assistance circuits have been implemented to care for the newcomers.
"The conclusion, indiscriminately confining not only lacks epidemiological justification, but is also inefficient and ineffective," she has emphasized, referring to the words of the president of the PP, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, who called for the confinement of migrants.
Three cases of tuberculosis and three of chickenpox
Regarding the specific diagnoses, the minister has broken down the cases of infectious diseases detected so far. On tuberculosis, she noted that three episodes have been identified: one in a migrant already treated, another of cerebral tuberculosis, and a third in a person who resided in Ceuta before July and who continues in treatment. She added that, after all the tests carried out, no new cases of tuberculosis have been confirmed.
Regarding chickenpox, she detailed that three cases have been counted, of which one is not related to the arrival of migrants and the other two are still pending confirmation and would not be linked to this migratory flow either. "In addition, there is a patient with suspected chickenpox," she indicated.
In relation to the episodes of gastroenteritis, she reported around 60 cases, which, as she explained, are presumably associated with poor food conditions and not with water consumption.
On scabies, she emphasized that it is an infection already present in Spain and specified that the affected migrant individuals are being treated with creams or oral medication.
No healthcare collapse in Ceuta
García has assured that healthcare assistance in Ceuta has been reinforced with the incorporation of a hundred professionals and has denied that the system has been overwhelmed. "There has been an extra effort, but it does not compromise the system," she stated.
She also defended that the Ceuta Hospital has sufficient capacity to absorb the increase in demand. As she specified, the center initially had 175 beds, which were expanded to 212, and at the time of greatest pressure, only 55 percent occupancy was reached, with a maximum of 105 patients admitted. "This is not the image of collapse," she emphasized.
"The peak of the highest admissions of migrant individuals was recorded on August 13, with 35 migrant patients admitted. Currently, we have 17 migrant patients admitted," she stated.
In Primary Care, the head of Health explained that the assistance activity went from 342 patients attended on the first day to a range of between 46 and 141 daily consultations, depending on the day.
Vaccination and healthcare reinforcement
García has advanced that the intention of the Ministry is to start next week the vaccination campaign aimed at the migrant population, using the 45,000 doses donated by the autonomous communities. Of that total, 15,000 are of triple viral, 10,000 of diphtheria and tetanus, 10,000 of chickenpox, and another 10,000 of polio.
"Next week, if the entire logistics chain works and if the entire logistics chain allows us, we will start vaccinating the population," he specified, emphasizing that this is a group with vaccination rates different from those of Spain.
The minister has added that the doses provided by the autonomous communities will be replenished later.
Criticism from the PP and Vox on the management in Ceuta
From the opposition, the PP deputy Carmen Fúnez has censured that García took several days to travel to Ceuta to address the crisis and has emphasized that it was the healthcare professionals who assumed the initial burden of care.
"He was looking at data from an office, from his vacation. But it was the professionals who were talking about crisis, who were talking about collapse, because they were the ones who looked into the eyes of the people who were suffering that crisis," she reproached.
Fúnez has also denied that more healthcare workers have been incorporated in Ceuta and has assured that the current staff is bearing an extraordinary effort to respond to the increase in demand.
"Today, emergency doctors have accumulated nine shifts since July 30. And there are others who have accumulated five shifts since August 15 and we are on the 27th. That is the reality of the professionals. It's not that there are more, it's that they are arriving and making an extra effort beyond their possibilities," she pointed out.
In addition, she has attributed the overcrowding to the "inability of the Government of Spain to protect the borders and the territorial integrity of the country." "If they had protected the borders and the territorial integrity of Spain, today we would not be talking about overcrowding under any concept nor about this situation," she stated.
For his part, the Vox deputy David García has maintained that the immigrants who have arrived in Ceuta may carry diseases, just like any other person or even an animal. "Just as a tourist brings it, an animal brings it, an illegal immigrant can bring it," he concluded.
Finally, he has accused the minister of evading responsibilities and of attacking the healthcare workers in Ceuta: "Anyone who contradicts her will be targeted."