Seville’s Military Hospital Recovers Amid Pandemic
The Health and Consumer Commission of the Andalusian Parliament, with only votes against from the PP, has rejected a Non-Law Proposition. This proposition was presented by the group Por Andalucía, which requested to restore the name of Marbella’s Vigil de Quiñones to the Military Hospital of Seville. The name change was made following a consultation whose result was not respected.
Debate on the Hospital’s Name Change
The issue is also expected to be debated in the next plenary session of the Marbella City Council, the birthplace of Rogelio Vigil de Quiñones. This past Wednesday, the matter was discussed in the Andalusian Parliament. Specifically, in the Health and Consumer Commission, through a Non-Law Proposition presented by the group Por Andalucía. They requested to return the name of Marbella’s Vigil de Quiñones to the former Military Hospital of Seville, which had been renamed to Doctor Muñoz Cariñanos following a consultation with healthcare workers.
Political Parties’ Stance on the Issue
The ten members of the PP voted against, compared to the eight representatives of the rest (PSOE, Por Andalucía, and Vox). The proposer, Esperanza Gómez, spoke of “partisan instrumentalization” and a “mockery” of healthcare staff. The PP defended that the consultation on the hospital’s name “was not binding” and criticized the “name fight”.
Controversy Over the Consultation Result
The truth is that the consultation was announced by the president of the Junta, Moreno Bonilla, who said it was a decision that healthcare professionals would make. The referendum result was hidden until the pressure from the Vigil de Quiñones family revealed it. The option of Doctor Muñoz Cariñanos was the fourth most voted, the last, despite being the name that the Junta finally gave to the hospital.
Accusations of Deception
From the PSOE, parliamentarian Rafael Recio, pointed out that the PP has made “lies prevail from arrogance” and spoke of a “scam, fix, and mockery” in the consultation. The former Military Hospital of Seville bore the name of Rogelio Vigil de Quiñones until March 2022, in honor of the Marbella doctor and military man, one of ‘The Last of the Philippines’ during his confinement in the church of Baler, at the end of the 19th century.
Continued Debate Over the Hospital’s Name
The issue came to light last February when the result of the consultation, which had been hidden by the Junta until then, was revealed and the chosen name was the least voted. From the PSOE of Marbella, a motion was presented to the plenary session of that month to defend the name of Vigil de Quiñones, which was finally tabled and will now be debated in March with the presence of a relative of the hero of the Philippines.
