Neither was put in an intensive care unit or on a ventilator, Fernández said. Agonizing life and death decisions are being made in Madrid and northeast Catalonia, the main hot spots for the outbreak. Among the situations where they said intensive care should not be provided if availability is in short supply: if the patient needs permanent intensive care to survive. Spain’s public health care system is known for its efficiency and universal care, but it has seen significant budget cuts in the past decade. Hospitals also have rushed to increase capacity, and the number of intensive care beds have tripled in Madrid and in Catalonia.

Source: thestar April 02, 2020 17:48 UTC