The Health Brigade prepares
medical oxygen bottles, an
essential resource
in hospitals.
BRISAN (Health Brigade)
Preparation of food for
the homeless staying
at the Barcelona Trade
Fair shelter.
end of March. The importance of their
contribution was already noted in the
implementing legislation of the state
of alarm in the field of Defence. “The
resources of the military healthcare
network are considered to be of a critical
nature”, the text states, “and its personnel
will be ready to take up their assignments
as soon as they are required to do so”.
The Ministry of Defence then placed
two military hospitals at the disposal of the
Ministry of Health, namely the Gómez Ulla
hospital in Madrid and another military
hospital in Zaragoza, as well as the two
Health groups with the capacity to set up
Role-2 field hospitals (emergency surgery
and stabilization).
More than 50 military doctors were
temporarily reassigned to join the staff
of these hospitals. Military healthcare
personnel no longer in active service
were also mobilized to increase health
capabilities against COVID-19.
As the days have gone by, space
needs have grown in the hospitals. 20 of
the 22 floors of the Gómez Ulla hospital
are dedicated to treating those suffering
Military doctors
and nurses fighting
coronavirus on the
>MONDAY 30TH
•The Armed Forces begin to monitor the land borders with
Portugal and with Morocco, in Melilla.
•An A400M aircraft sent to China to bring back medical
supplies arrives at Torrejón air base.
•The first death from coronavirus occurs of a military
serviceman, a non-commissioned officer in the Air Force.
>TUESDAY 31ST
•The Navy sends ship Galicia to Melilla to reinforce its hospital
capacity.
APRIL
>WEDNESDAY 1ST
•Some of the soldiers posted in Iraq and Afghanistan return
home, as training tasks in these missions were brought to a
standstill.
from this epidemic. Patients are also
being treated in the two ICU wings and in
the Post Anaesthesia Resuscitation Unit.
In addition, a hundred beds have been
installed in the rehabilitation gymnasium
in order to increase the capacity to care
for those affected. In total, 405 beds and
28 ICUs have been made available for
coronavirus patients alone.
Staff was increased on March 26th with
nursing assistants and operating theatre
assistants from the Health Brigade, as well
as personnel from the Anti-Aircraft Artillery
Command, acting as hospital porters.
Members of the Engineering Command
are also providing support in plumbing,
electricity, air conditioning, welding and
bricklaying tasks.
The Gómez Ulla hospital, through the
Armed Forces Blood Transfusion Centre
against the
front line
>THURSDAY 2ND
•The Armed Forces begin to monitor the border with
France in Girona and Navarre.
>FRIDAY 3RD
•The King visits the Balmis Command Centre
and thanks the Armed Forces for their work in the
health crisis. “Your contribution is very important
in a time of need and national
emergency”.
>SATURDAY 4TH
•The Government extends the state of emergency for two
more weeks, until April 26th.
•8,261 troops from the Army, Navy, Air Force, the
Military Emergencies Unit and the Royal Guard have
already been deployed in more than 900 locations
throughout the country. Of these, 3,125 work in support
and health care.
April 2020 Revista Española de Defensa 19
Toni Albir/EFE