Table of Contents
- 1 COMESAÑA DEFENDS “LEGALITY”
- 2 COMESAÑA “SE COMES EL MARRON” BY FEIJÓO
- 3 ÁLVARO CUNQUEIRO HOSPITAL
- 4 **How did the urgency of the COVID-19 pandemic influence the decision-making process regarding emergency contracts in Galicia, and were these decisions ultimately justified given the potential long-term consequences raised by the opposition?**
The former councilor acknowledges that Álvaro Cunqueiro’s model was “more expensive”, but he managed to have it built “in record time”
SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA, Nov. 22 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The one who was Minister of Health between September 2020 and April 2024, Julio García Comesaña, defended this Friday in the regional Parliament the “legality” and “transparency” of all the emergency contracts signed to be able to cover the needs of the Servizo Galego de Saúde (Sergas) during the first months of the covid-19 pandemic.
He has also referred to the awards to companies linked to relatives of PP leaders, pointed out by the opposition (BNG and PSdeG) in a debate of the investigation commission that has been tense at times, as was already anticipated due to the disagreements. that this body has generated among the groups in recent weeks.
Among the companies mentioned is the teleoperator Universal Support, of which Ignacio Cárdenas, brother-in-law of the former president of the Xunta Alberto Núñez Feijóo, is a director, and which was hired as of August 2020 to support the coronavirus case tracking service.
García Comesaña, now a PP deputy and member of the commission, has justified that he contacted this firm because he was working for Madrid’s Samur and that, “within two days”, he made “75 teleoperators” available to Sergas. First, in confirming infections and, subsequently, in tracing them.
In 2020, it was done by direct award under the contracting regulations for emergency cases. Months later, in 2021, “when it was possible”, the Ministry of Health put these services out to a “conventional competition” and Universal Support lost it, in one case, and won it, in another.
García Comesaña was the second person to appear on the first day of this commission promoted by the BNG. The president of the body, the popular Elena Candia, has had to intervene on some occasions and has called for calm, warning that “today is the first day.”
COMESAÑA DEFENDS “LEGALITY”
The opposition (BNG and PSdeG) has focused on pointing out the tenders not only to Universal Support, but also to Eulen, of which Feijóo’s sister, Micaela Núñez, is the director for the Northwest; and Mape Asesores, which sold masks to the Xunta for which Alberto González Amador, partner of the president of the Community of Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, received 2 million euros in commissions.
“What I am not going to give up here is the opportunity we had to make those emergency contracts in compliance with the law,” stressed García Comesaña, who insisted that Galicia “was exemplary” in the purchase of medical supplies.
On behalf of the BNG, Luís Bará has focused a good part of his intervention on denouncing that the Xunta and the PP “denied” the sending of the contract files with Universal Support, Sibucu and Mape Asesores.
“If there is no problem, bring the documentation,” the nationalist stressed, to also censure that the PP, with the “finger of a dictator from Madrid”, “vetoed” in the commission’s work plan the appearance of both Feijóo as well as his sister, among other people.
In any case, he has warned that the BNG is going to go “to the last consequences, inside and outside the commission”, to uncover the “shenanigans” of the popular ones. For this reason, it has already requested the rest of the documentation under article 9 of the Parliament’s Rules of Procedure.
COMESAÑA “SE COMES EL MARRON” BY FEIJÓO
On behalf of the PSdeG, Patricia Iglesias has agreed in pointing out the “authentic mess” that the commission is and has regretted, not without irony, that García Comesaña has to “take the piss” of appearing on it and that Feijóo does not.
Likewise, the socialist has focused especially on the contracts that Universal Support received for 15 million euros despite the fact that “it had never contracted with Sergas before” and “lacked technical solvency.” “Thousands of people scared at home and this man (Ignacio Cárdenas) signing million-dollar contracts,” Iglesias summarized.
Opposite, PP deputy Roberto Rodríguez has accused the opposition of wanting to turn the investigation commission into a “defamation” commission because they wanted “specific people” to attend this body and not “representatives” of the aforementioned companies.
Likewise, the popular has responded that “all the documentation” they requested was “collected in the transaction” that they were offered to agree on the work plan.
Rodríguez has insisted that all contracts are “supervised” by the Consello de Contas — “Your reports do not say what you say they say,” he snapped –, while accusing the socialist deputy of “lacking the respect” to the officials and inspectors who reviewed the tenders.
Both the PP spokesperson in the debate and the former councilor have suggested that this commission created by the Block seeks to cover up the “extensive list of corruption cases” that plague the Government of Pedro Sánchez.
ÁLVARO CUNQUEIRO HOSPITAL
The debate with the opposition has focused mainly on these contracts, although the former councilor used his first intervention to defend the public works concession model chosen by the Xunta to build the Álvaro Cunqueiro Hospital in Vigo.
According to a report from the Consello de Contas, the regional administration would have saved 470 million euros if it had tendered the works and services separately.
“If this model (public works concession) had not been done, we would still be waiting for the works to be completed,” García Comesaña stated, later acknowledging with a simile that it was “more expensive” for resorting to external financing, such as ” when you don’t have the money and you have to go to a bank to lend it to you.”
The former Health Minister, who was also manager of the Vigo Health Area between 2019 and 2020, recalled that it was the government of Manuel Fraga that first approved, in 2005, the construction of the hospital. However, that same year the bipartisan Emilio Pérez Touriño arrived at the Xunta and a “process of paralysis” began.
The now PP deputy has blamed BNG and PSdeG for the “four-year extra cost” that that government entailed because, during that period, “not a brick was moved” to build the hospital.
This was unlocked with the return of the PP to the Xunta in 2009 and, after the beginning of the works in 2011, they were finished in 2015 “in record time” and allowed the Vigo area to have a hospital “one of the best in Europe.” .
This allowed, he argued, that in 2019 the waiting lists were reduced in the area to “61 days, 44 days less than in 2013.” This translated into savings of 80 million euros “over six years” by reducing average hospital stays.
Furthermore, the size of Álvaro Cunqueiro meant that the Ministry “never” contemplated the construction of a field hospital in Vigo during the pandemic and that beds could be “offered” to Portuguese patients.
Regarding the hospital, Luís Bará (BNG) has disgraced the former councilor who intervened in the commission as an “alleged opponent” of the Vigo City Council.
Patricia Iglesias (PSdeG), meanwhile, has acknowledged that the bipartite “studyed different ways” to build it but “was betting on a public hospital, not a public works concession” which meant “a tailor-made suit for the concessionaire.”
**How did the urgency of the COVID-19 pandemic influence the decision-making process regarding emergency contracts in Galicia, and were these decisions ultimately justified given the potential long-term consequences raised by the opposition?**
## World Today News Interview: Emergency Contracts and the Álvaro Cunqueiro Hospital
**Introduction:**
Welcome to World Today News. Today we’re dissecting a controversial debate surrounding emergency contracts awarded during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in Galicia, Spain, and the construction of the Álvaro Cunqueiro Hospital in Vigo. Joining us are two esteemed guests: [Guest 1 Name], a [Guest 1 Affiliation & Expertise], and [Guest 2 Name], a [Guest 2 Affiliation & Expertise].
**Section 1: Emergency Contracts During the Pandemic**
* **[Interviewer]:** Mr. García Comesaña, you defended the legality and transparency of the emergency contracts awarded during the pandemic. However, the opposition highlighted potential conflicts of interest, such as the award to Universal Support, a company linked to former PP leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo’s family. Can you address these concerns and explain the rationale behind bypassing traditional tender processes in these exigent circumstances?
* **[Interviewer]:** [Guest 2 name], from your perspective, were the emergency contracts awarded in a fair and transparent manner? Considering the urgency of the situation, do you believe resorting to direct awards was justified, or should alternative measures have been explored?
**Section 2: Transparency and Accountability**
* **[Interviewer]:** The opposition criticized the lack of transparency in providing documentation regarding these contracts. The BNG, for example, publicly requested access to contract files with Universal Support, Sibucu, and Mape Asesores. How do you respond to these allegations of opacity?
* **[Interviewer]:** [Guest 1], do you believe the Xunta was sufficiently transparent in its handling of the pandemic contracts? What could have been done differently to ensure greater public trust and accountability?
**Section 3: The Álvaro Cunqueiro Hospital: Funding Models and Public Interest**
* **[Interviewer]:** Both the BNG and PSdeG criticized the public works concession model chosen for the Álvaro Cunqueiro Hospital. Mr. García Comesaña, you argue that this model expedited the construction process, but is this argument sufficient to justify the potential cost increase highlighted by the Consello de Contas? Should alternative funding models have been considered?
* **[Interviewer]:** [Guest 2], was the public works concession model the most responsible approach for a major hospital construction project? What are the potential long-term implications of this funding method, especially in terms of public spending and healthcare sustainability?
**Section 4: Political Implications**
* **[Interviewer]:** The debate surrounding these contracts has become highly politicized. While the PP defends their actions, the opposition views them as cronyism and mismanagement. Is it inevitable that emergency situations lead to partisan disputes, or are there measures that could minimize political polarization during crisis management?
* **[Interviewer]:** [Guest 1], how do you see the ongoing debate impacting public trust in future emergency response policies? What lessons can be learned from this experience?
**Conclusion:**
We thank our guests for their valuable insights. This complex situation raises crucial questions about transparency, accountability, and the balancing act between speed and meticulous process during emergencies. It’s clear that public debate will continue as Galicia and the world grapple with these challenges.
Join us next time as World Today News continues to dissect pressing global issues.
