The nurses were represented by Lluïsa Brull, as acting dean of the Council of Nursing Colleges
The Parliament has distinguished this evening with the Medal of Honor, in the category of gold, the professionals of the health system of Catalonia, in recognition of the work carried out during the Covid-19 pandemic and its “exceptional response” to of an “extremely serious crisis”. The event, which is part of the commemoration of the Day and the fortieth anniversary of the re-establishment of Parliament, also paid tribute to the victims of the pandemic.
President Roger Torrent presided over the event, which was held in the Auditorium in a reduced format due to preventive measures to contain Covid-19. The President of the Generalitat, Quim Torra, the Vice-President of the Government, Pere Aragonès, the Minister of Health, Alba Vergés, the former Presidents of Parliament Joan Rigol and Ernest Benach, the Vice-Presidents of Parliament Josep Costa and Joan García, the secretaries second and fourth, David Pérez and Rut Ribas, the presidents of the parliamentary groups of Cs, Carlos Carrizosa; of JxCat, Albert Batet; of ERC, Sergi Sabrià; of the PSC-Units, Miquel Iceta; the deputy spokesperson for CatECP, Marta Ribas, and the deputies for the CUP subgroups, Carles Riera, and the PPC, Santi Rodríguez. The nurses of the four Catalan schools were represented by Lluïsa Brull, as acting dean of the Council of Nurses ’Associations of Catalonia.
In his speech, the president highlighted “the exceptional response of health care professionals in the most critical moments” of the pandemic. In this sense, he remarked that “all institutions, starting with this chamber, must conspire to guarantee their resources and provide them with the best possible tools for the development of their work.” Torrent added that we need to take care of the people who “take care of us”, “put health at the center of the socio-economic model” and “project a new country on the idea of the common good, health and a dignified life”.
The event, led by journalist Raquel Sans, began with a performance by Judit Neddermann, who performed the piece “Marea Blanca”, which the singer-songwriter composed in honor of health system professionals.
After reading the agreement to award the medal, which the Board took unanimously last May 26, journalist Jordi Basté gave a gloss on the winners. Basté, who highlighted the “admirable consensus for the times” with which the medal was awarded, spoke of “the profession of angel, precarious, which is poorly paid and that all administrations look with a squint” and asked that “after applauding them, we also remember when we mistreated them.” The journalist claimed that “we go out in defense of health workers when they are not essential” and called for “if we want to recognize them, we must transform health and invest” and “politically correct words, make them a reality.” . Basté conveyed to the winners the pride “of their gowns, endoscopes and masks” to end with a “we don’t have words for so many thanks that we have to give you”.
After the gloss, Torrent presented the medal to Dolors Arnau, an internist at the Igualada Hospital, who collected it on behalf of the entire group of health professionals and accompanied by Miguel Cerrillo, nurse of the l ‘Primary Care Team of the CAP Mossèn Jaume Soler of Cornellà del LLobregat; Neus Camps, epidemiologist at the Girona Epidemiological Service; Glòria Ollé, auxiliary nursing care technician at the Intensive Care Unit of the Germans Trias i Pujol University Hospital in Badalona; and Jesús Cabrera, administrator of the Primary Care team at CAP Roquetes-Canteres in Barcelona.
Arnau, who spoke on behalf of the winners and said she felt “honored to represent the health workers of Catalonia at the event”, recalled the first months of the pandemic, which she said “were very hard” during which “we felt alone, with fears and great uncertainty in the face of an unknown illness” that “faced with humanity and the professionalism of which we were capable”. Arnau spoke of the “emotional impact it represented” and said that “it is very much alive in all of us” and recalled that as professionals in all specialties “we reorganized and worked as a great team”. The doctor, who denounced that “the resources of primary care are very limited”, asked “our superiors to listen to us, to help us and to the citizens to be responsible”. Finally, the internist had words of remembrance for “professionals who have lost their lives and those who still suffer the consequences.”
The event continued with the cello byte of the Liceu Conservatory Foundation performing from the stairs of Honor of the Palace The song of the birds in memory of the victims of the Covid-19.
The event ended with the national anthem of Catalonia performed by students from the Liceu Conservatory.
(Press release and photographs of the Parliament of Catalonia, 10/09/2020)
