The Memory of Amoebas and the 7,291 Deaths in Madrid Nursing Homes

• In the spring of 2020, 7,291 people died in Madrid nursing homes without being transferred to hospitals.
• Known as the "protocols of shame," these guidelines restricted hospital transfers for residents and are currently subject to judicial investigation.
• Alberto Reyero, then Minister of Social Policies, opposed the protocols but remained in the government, sparking ongoing debate about political accountability.

The 7,291 Deaths and the Protocols

• The figure represents individuals who died in nursing homes during March and April 2020 without hospital referral, including confirmed and suspected COVID-19 cases as well as other causes of death.
• Data was verified through official transparency requests filed with the Ministry of Social Policies.
• Four versions of the protocols were signed by Carlos Mur, then Director General of Sociosanitary Coordination in Madrid.
• While Mur denies personally drafting the documents, pointing to the involvement of others like geriatrician Francisco Javier Martínez Peromingo, the judicial system is still investigating the chain of command and responsibility for the exclusion criteria.

Key Actors and Accountability

• Carlos Mur: Resigned in May 2020, later served in Andorra, and now works in the private psychiatric sector; he testified as a subject of investigation in January 2026.
• Alberto Reyero: As Minister of Social Policies, he documented his opposition to the protocols in writing to health authorities, yet he remained in the government until October 2020, a decision he later reflected upon as a source of personal discomfort regarding his political responsibility.

Implications

• Six years later, public memory is fading regarding the circumstances of the deaths.
• The dignity of the deceased and the accountability for the "protocols of shame" remain central issues in the ongoing pursuit of justice for those who died in isolation.