Profit Over Patients: Ribera Salud Scandal at Hospital de Torrejón Unveiled
Scandal at Hospital de Torrejón exposes Ribera Salud's profit-driven mismanagement, illegal reuse of medical materials, and compromised patient care, prompting leadership changes and government probes.
- • Ribera Salud prioritized profits over patient care at Hospital de Torrejón, as revealed by CEO's audio recordings.
- • Employees were instructed to reuse single-use medical materials, a practice considered illegal and unsafe.
- • Several executives were dismissed after raising ethical concerns about profit-focused directives.
- • The Ministry of Health has launched an investigation into alleged healthcare violations at the hospital.
Key details
A major scandal has emerged at the Hospital de Torrejón de Ardoz in Madrid, managed by Ribera Salud, where profitability was reportedly placed above patient care, leading to leadership upheavals and ongoing investigations.
Audio recordings of Ribera Salud's CEO, Pablo Gallart, revealed directives to increase patient waiting times deliberately and cut costs on personnel and resources to enhance the company's profits. This included prioritizing "more profitable" patients and targeting "external patients" to generate additional income. Employees reported unethical and illegal practices, including orders to reuse single-use medical materials such as catheters, a violation of European health regulations that risks patient safety.
The scandal prompted the resignation of Gallart and the dismissal of at least four executives who highlighted these malpractice warnings through the company’s ethics channel. These actions followed leadership changes prompted by Ribera's majority shareholder, the French company Vivalto Santé, which pushed for increased profitability, signified by ousting a long-standing executive, Alberto de Rosa.
Hospital staff complaints described a rapid decline in healthcare quality due to profit-driven policies, violating principles of equity within the National Health System. Half of the hospital's workforce reportedly left over five years, citing poor working conditions.
The Ministry of Health's High Inspection has initiated an official investigation into potential irregularities and breaches of public health protection laws. Opposition voices have called for accountability, with national political leaders demanding audits, though some regional leaders remain silent.
Ribera Salud’s controversial management practices at Torrejón underscore ongoing tensions in Spain’s public-private healthcare models, highlighting the risks of prioritizing financial results over patient well-being.
"We were ordered to sterilize single-use devices—this is not legal and endangers patients," a hospital employee said, illustrating the ethical crisis. Meanwhile, Ribera Salud denied the allegations, defending their procedures.
The investigation's outcomes could reshape trust and policies regarding private involvement in Spain's public healthcare institutions.
This article was synthesized and translated from native language sources to provide English-speaking readers with local perspectives.
