A Madrid court has summoned the head of geriatrics at Gregorio Marañón as a suspect. The investigation centers on protocols that restricted hospital transfers from care homes during the pandemic. Several senior officials are now under judicial review.
The head of geriatrics at the Gregorio Marañón hospital has been formally named as a suspect by a court in Arganda del Rey, Madrid. The judge is investigating her alleged role in drafting protocols that, during the pandemic, limited the transfer of elderly residents from care homes to hospitals. This move comes after testimony from Carlos Mur, a former senior health official under Isabel Díaz Ayuso, who stated that while he signed the so-called 'protocolos de la vergüenza', the initial proposal came from this hospital specialist.
The protocols in question have been at the center of multiple judicial inquiries across the Community of Madrid. Families of deceased care home residents claim these measures prevented the transfer of ill elderly people to hospitals, potentially impacting survival rates during the height of COVID-19. The Arganda court is one of several in the region reopening cases to examine individual deaths and the decision-making behind the protocols.
In recent hearings, Carlos Mur, who served as Director of Sociosanitary Coordination for the Madrid regional government, has shifted focus onto other officials, including the Gregorio Marañón geriatrician. He described his own role as providing technical endorsement, but emphasized that the protocol originated from an expert in geriatrics. The court has now summoned this doctor to testify as an investigated party, joining Mur and other officials such as Francisco Javier Martínez Peromingo and Pablo Busca on the list of those facing judicial scrutiny.
This development highlights ongoing legal and political tensions in Madrid over the management of care homes during the pandemic. The protocols, which became widely known as 'protocolos de la vergüenza', have sparked public debate and led to a series of court cases. The issue has also drawn attention to the responsibilities of regional health authorities and the chain of command during crisis decision-making. For context, similar controversies over official accountability have surfaced in other high-profile cases, such as the recent Supreme Court decision to suspend a sentence in a major corruption case, reflecting broader questions about institutional responsibility in Spain.
According to official data, Madrid was among the hardest-hit regions in Spain during the first wave of COVID-19, with care homes experiencing significant mortality. The protocols restricting hospital transfers were introduced as hospitals faced unprecedented pressure, but their implementation and authorship remain under judicial review. The outcome of these investigations could influence future policy on elderly care and crisis management in the region.
