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"We shouldn't be afraid to say it," says doctor Jaume Padrós of the Barcelona medical association. "Our health system has been overwhelmed". The days go by, the numbers rise and the saturation of the Spanish health system due to coronavirus is confirmed, with Catalonia in perhaps the most critical situation of all with regard to its intensive care units (ICUs).

According to the data analysts Datadista, the Catalan health system is operating its ICUs at a level well beyond its capacity. When compared to other parts of the Spanish state, the Catalan healthcare system is under more stress than any other autonomous community: Madrid, La Rioja, Castilla-La Mancha, the Basque Country and Castile and León are all stretching their capacity to deal with the most critically ill patients, but in Catalonia the pressure in the last few days has taken it quickly to 200% of capacity.

The graphic shows the Spanish regions where ICUs are running beyond their normal capacity. The "saturation rate is calculated based on the cumulative figures of ICU admissions and the ICU beds available in a normal situation", says the definition.

In numerical terms, Catalonia currently has 1,512 coronavirus patients that require ICU treatment, 29% of the figure for the whole Spanish state. Madrid has almost as many (1,460), and the other autonomous communities, while also under pressure, are dealing with smaller absolute numbers: of those shown in the Datadista graphic, Castilla La Mancha has 302 coronavirus patients in ICUs, the Basque Country 293, Castille León 307 and La Rioja, 43.  

It is also reported that the number of coronavirus-infected healthcare workers has risen to at least 12,298, a shockingly high 14.4% of total confirmed cases in the Spanish state.

The healthcare system, "beyond its limits"

The president of the Barcelona medical association, ​​Jaume Padrós, believes that the authorities should say clearly that the healthcare system has been "overwhelmed" and that it could be even more so in the coming weeks, especially with regard to the lack of respirators for patients with severe coronavirus.

According to Padrós, there are shortages of space, protective medical material, respirators and staff. "We need to stop being afraid to tell it like it is, there's nothing wrong with saying it, explaining to the public that the situation is very serious and that the healthcare system is being pushed beyond its limits," he said. New spaces are being set up outside the hospitals.

In an interview with Catalunya Ràdio, Padrós emphasized the importance of conducting many more coronavirus tests in order to be able to isolate individually and selectively, as well as using other technological tools such as those used by China. He also requested more protective equipment for toilets, especially in senior citizens' residential homes.