The Minister of Health during the pandemic, Salvador Illa, acknowledged this Monday in the Koldo case commission in Congress that “a few took advantage.” He was thus referring to the irregularities of the anticovid contracts, but it is justified by the fact that they were “difficult to detect.”
Illa, now a socialist candidate for the Generalitat, appeared before the Congressional investigation commission. Over there has delivered a 32-page report on the procedures that were followed during the state of alarm with emergency purchases.
Illa explained in the Koldo case commission that those days the Ministry of Health received «through different means, «multiple offers ». “Many of these proposals were apparently made by opportunists and upstarts.” He also claims that “some offers were directly considered scam attempts.”
In this context, “it was essential to detect reliable suppliers who would quickly supply the required material.” To this end, several mailboxes manned by experts were established. It says that these offers were subjected “to a rigorous analysis” based on the solvency of the companies, the seriousness of the offers or the quality of the material.
On March 20, 2020, just six days after the declaration of the state of alarm, the first massive health purchase was made. “And in the following 20 days, until April 10, a total of 28 contracts were closed.” These They had a total cost of 750 million euros. Thanks to these contracts, 642 million surgical masks, 106 million FFP2 and FFP3 masks, 58 million gloves, and 3 million protective overalls were purchased. Also 550,000 protective glasses, 6,298 respirators and 0.5 million diagnostic tests.
In his opinion, “the Ministry of Health acted in a prudent, responsible, diligent and effective manner” so that health workers and citizens could “protect themselves against the virus.” And all this although, according to Illa, “there were people, a few, who took advantage of that situation.” But, in his opinion, “in no way does this minority represent nor can it tarnish the exemplary behavior” of society and public health.
“The virus brought out the best in Spanish society and the worst in a few, difficult for all administrations to detect at that time,” he concluded in his initial speech.
