Patricia Gómez, the Balearic health minister, told parliament on Tuesday that "to this day, all public hospitals in the Balearics have been carrying out tests (for coronavirus) on patients being admitted.
Gómez was responding to Idoia Ribas, who had raised the fact that not all patients being admitted to Son Espases were being tested. "All hospitals have the same protocols," stated Gómez, who went on to point out that the level of testing in general in the Balearics is the fifth highest among Spain's regions.
Ribas said that her party warned on Sunday that tests at Son Espases were only being given to patients who were due to undergo surgery. She added that the Vox spokesperson at the Council of Mallorca was currently self-isolating at home, having been in a room at Son Espases with another patient who later tested positive prior to being operated on.
"They are putting the health of both patients and health workers at risk. It is reckless and negligent what has been happening at Son Espases, and if it hadn't been for Vox reporting it, we would still be in the same position."
The Vox deputy insisted that Gómez should apologise and resign, "although the latter should have been done a long time ago". "Unfortunately, this government is not prepared to acknowledge its faults. I do not anticipate her being dismissed by the president (Armengol), as she was the first to breach the restrictions. But if she had any dignity left, she would resign."
Gómez explained that since May, tests have been carried out on anyone being admitted for surgery and invasive procedures as well as on pregnant women: "almost half the people admitted". For those who were not, the minister said that they were then tested to check on their condition.
She regretted the "anti-politics of Vox, who question the work of health professionals in the Balearics". "I am not standing by the doors of hospitals to see if protocols being met, and these - I stress - are designed by professionals. The health of patients and health workers is not being put at risk. You (Vox) do that by encouraging people to go onto the streets against the restrictions."
The health ministry has confirmed that testing of all patients on admission to Son Espases will now be routine.