Over 7,000 roses were given to the Hospital’s patients and medical staff. The handing out of the roses was made possible by the solidarity initiative led by university student, Arnau Faus.
The Hospital’s inpatients were also given books. The distribution of these books was made possible thanks to the generous collaboration of several publishing houses: Editorial Plataforma, Roca Editorial, CMVocento, Edebe Editorial, Editorial Planeta, and MB Agencia Literaria.
This year, for the first time, a place for medical staff to swap books was set up. Over the course of last week, various medical professionals brought in books in order to swap them with their colleagues last Friday. The book swap took place at three of the Hospital Clínic's centres (Villarroel, Maternitat and Plató), and over 150 medical staff members took part.
The Hospital’s managers also wished all the medical staff a happy Saint George’s Day through a streamed event during which the book by Dr. Carme Hernández was presented. Coordinator of the Transversal Home Hospitalisation Unit, Dr. Hernández’ book is entitled, “Los pacientes y los días” [“The patients and the days”] and was recently published by Plataforma Editorial. In it, she describes her experience at the “medicalized hotel”. On 1 April 2020, the Hospital Clínic created a “medicalized hotel” by turning the Hotel Catalonia Barcelona Plaza (Plaça Espanya, Barcelona) into a temporary hospital for patients with mild cases of COVID-19. The Hotel was set up like a hospital, and on each floor there were teams of doctors, nurses, nursing auxiliaries and other healthcare professionals.
During the event, the winner of the “El Clínic enamora” short story competition was announced. The winner was Roger Alabau, a 6th year medical student who wrote the following story:
“Through a chink in the door of a room, I can just make out the conversation between a married couple who are inpatients. They are talking about how, when they are alone, far from the hospital, they will go out with the first blush of spring and dance in the rapeseed fields. Before I give them the news that they are to be discharged, the couple look at me full of doubt, and the words get stuck in my throat. I hold back tears of joy, which flow, red hot, down into my stomach. I look out at the sky, framed by the window, the plane trees in the distance. Spring, time and fear don’t matter when you are with the one you love.”
You can see the photo album of St. George's Day at the Clinic
