Spain May Use Private Clinics, Military Hospitals to Fight Virus

(Bloomberg) -- Spain may requisition private health clinics and make military hospitals available to the public health system to bolster its fight against the novel coronavirus.

All medical equipment such as surgical masks, gloves and protective glasses held in stock by companies or individuals must be handed over in the next 48 hours, Health Minister Salvador Illa said in a press conference Sunday, in which the possibility of requisitions was announced. Medical students in their final year will be hired to help hospitals deal with the number of patients suffering from the disease, Illa said.

Illa is part of a four-member group of ministers who have oversight of the state of emergency declared by the government March 14. The other three members of the group are Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska, Transport Minister Jose Luis Abalos and Defense Minister Margarita Robles, all of whom also took part of the press conference.

As well as making private clinics and military hospitals to the public health system, the government will also make other suitable public and private spaces available to be used to fight the virus. Earlier in the week, the government of Madrid said it may seek to use hotels as makeshift hospitals.

To contact the reporter on this story: Charlie Devereux in Madrid at cdevereux3@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Rodrigo Orihuela at rorihuela@bloomberg.net

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