MADRID (Reuters – Wednesday’s Spanish court ordered a regional medical authority to reimburse scores of physicians for not adequately protecting them from infection during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Judge Ricardo Barrio stated that between March 2020 and May 2020 Valencia’s health authority provided only one facemask to coronavirus victims in Alicante and required them to use disposable protective gear up until June.

Another court in Alicante ordered that compensation be paid to all 153 doctors affected by the virus. Those who had contracted it would receive larger amounts.

According to court documents, it ruled that failure of the authority to offer individual protection meant “all health workers were exposed to grave risks in regard to their safety and health.”

Victor Pedrera (general secretary CESM-CV), a Valencia doctors’ union that brought the case said the number of people who have contracted the virus in this region was particularly high.

Spain’s first COVID-19-related epidemic was the deadliest in history. According to Worldometer, the country had nearly 28,000 deaths from coronavirus in two months starting March 15, 2020.

CESM-CV has commenced a lawsuit against the same authority for health in four additional cities – Castellon Benidorm Elche Valencia and Valencia – in behalf of approximately 1,000 doctors.

After Wednesday’s ruling, he stated that “we have been pioneers.” “I believe that there will be many other groups of health workers and doctors who sue.”

Appeal of the Alicante court decision can be made. Judge Barrio stated that a similar decision by the Teruel court of Aragon in the neighboring region was also upheld in appeal in September 2020.

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