The PSC, through its deputy spokesperson in Parliament, Raúl Moreno, has requested the appearance of the head of the inspection service of the Department of Social Rights, Rosa Llor Serra, so that she can give explanations about the department’s actions in relation to the salmonella outbreak detected in the Geriàtric Aragó, located in the center of Barcelona, and which caused the infection of 39 residents between July and September 2022, eight of whom died. . A court in the Catalan capital is investigating the event in case eight crimes of recklessness could have been committed resulting in death. The case was opened as a result of the complaint filed by the prosecutor’s office and after verifying the lack of hygiene in the center, which accelerated the spread of the bacteria.
In addition to the appearance of the person in charge of the inspection service, the PSC has also directed a series of questions to the Conselleria de Drets Social, represented by Carles Campuzano, about the outbreak of salmonellosis in the nursing home and the action taken by the Generalitat. In this way, the Socialists want to know when the department learned of the detection of the battery, who informed them, how it was proceeded, and if the Catalan Executive made sure to clean the premises, how many inspections they carried out at the nursing home between 2021 and 2023 and what deficiencies were found, among other issues.
months of chaos
Related news
The complaint presented by the prosecutor’s office specifies that in the period in which it was investigating internally (from October 2022 to this month of July) there was evidence that the lack of hygiene in the residence continued, despite the fact that the outbreak had occurred before, especially in the months of July and August 2022). The Drets Social inspection, according to the sources consulted by this newspaper, is the one who has the power to carry out inspections if irregularities are detected.
It was the Barcelona Prosecutor’s Office, through its complaint, which, after verifying that the chaos in the residence was still going on, requested the closure of the nursing home as a precautionary measure. In his opinion, the risk to the elderly persisted, as demonstrated by the information collected, even while they were investigating (from October 2022 until the beginning of July, when they filed the complaint). However, the Investigating Court number 17, which investigates the case, rejected the proposal, for “premature”. The magistrate has agreed to the statement of the investigated (the manager and administrator of the company that manages the center, the director of etics, the housekeeper and the doctor), as well as witnesses, although no date has yet been set for the practice of this test.