Index 0 Cover letter 5 1 2020, a year that no one will forget 8 2 Our radiography 32 3 Our lines of action 42 4 Innovation and Development 78 5 Sustainable Development 82 SAMU, an entity committed to its 86 6 environment 7 Making our project visible to society 90 SAMU Annual Report 2020-2021 4 0 Cover letter Throughout our long history, we have ex- organization in the fight against Covid-19 perienced all kind of moments. And since represents without a doubt a case study. our vocation has always been to be there, in the front line, ready to attend to any so- If SAMU is the result of a joint human ef- cial need, in our almost forty years of life fort, the evidence is in everything we have we did have the opportunity - I would say done in 2020. The most complicated year 5 also the fortune - to intervene in many of our lives and a true and exciting chal- adverse circumstances, living and trying lenge that we have overcome with flying to alleviate the suffering of many people. colours, thanks to our involvement, crea- Natural disasters, migratory crises, fam- tivity and effort of an unbeatable human ines, there are many deployments carried team. What you will find on the following out by SAMU over the last decades to deal pages is its heritage. with these types of contingencies, without forgetting all its work in favour of the most With this cover letter, now we should face disadvantaged people. 2021. The year in which we turned 40 in activity. A year to look back and feel proud But reality has never before put us so much of all that has been achieved, and also to to the test. And never, as last year, we had look forward with renewed illusions and the chance to demonstrate to such an ex- the security of knowing that we are - we al- tent our capacity as an organization spe- ways were- on the right track. cialized in emergency management and ad- verse scenarios. Many entities - those that I can only thank all public administrations achieve it, since not a few will sadly remain and public and private entities that have on the road - will tell in the future that they trusted us during the past year, as well as came out strengthened in 2020. And we the users of our services. We are here for can affirm this categorically from our posi- them and we want to continue being there tion. Because the work carried out by our for many more years. Carlos Álvarez Leiva Chairman 0. Cover letter Cover 0. 1 2020, a year that no one will forget 2020 will be difficult for everyone to forget. ing for years to face a biological crisis like But especially for entities that, like SAMU, the one we are suffering, convinced that were in the front line of the fight against something like this was more than pos- Covid-19, putting everything on their side sible. This circumstance has placed us in 6 even before the lockdown declaration due a situation of strength to face the virus, to the pandemic. And always, with a voca- which has favoured our ability to put into tion of generosity, dedication and commit- operation, with great agility and efficiency, ment that allowed it to reach with its quali- care deployments against the pandem- fied attention where others could not, even ic. We have been on many fronts, and our outside our borders. know-how has crossed borders. SAMU has always been a company focused on health 2020 put us on the ropes as a society, re- and emergencies, with a marked social questing from us demands of prudence orientation, but in 2020 this dimension and security never before experienced, has multiplied, associating the brand with and also awakened in us unusual currents that of professionalism and excellence in of solidarity, with a mobilization of public health crises management. administrations, private sector and civil so- ciety like never before. All of this aimed at Nobody will forget this 2020. But much mitigating the catastrophic consequences less the SAMU professionals who have of Covid-19 on our society, not only from a been fighting COVID-19 since the begin- health point of view but from the economic ning of the pandemic on many fronts, al- situation. ways upholding the principles that have made us known and recognized as an As Carlos Álvarez Leyva, our chairman, entity: the humanitarian commitment to has pointed out, SAMU has been prepar- health and social integration. Annual Report 2020-2021 SAMU 7 1. 2020, a year that no one will forget a year 2020, 1. 1. 2020, aun year año that que nonadie one olvidará will forget We have shown what we are 8 able to “do when we work all together Annual Report 2020-2021 SAMU CARLOS GONZÁLEZ DE ESCALADA, 1.1. Interview SAMU GENERAL DIRECTOR What is the main lesson learned from all your work during 2020 in the fight against the coronavirus? That in moments of serious crisis, the leader must set a single objective, share it with the team and make the ap- propriate decisions to fulfill it. Even if you are afraid; even if you lack information; even if it seems impossible: set the path, report it and maneuver until you reach port. And as a society? What do you think will come from us as a society after everything that happened in this difficult year? The best of us has already come out: dedication, love, in- tegrity, solidarity, the unlimited effort of many groups ... 9 We must overcome the least edifying aspects to face the future with light and courage. Without forgetting the high level of suffering, we have shown what we are able to do when we work all together. 2020 has forced SAMU to an exercise in reinvention and constant imagination. Is it now stronger as an entity? Yes. We have cultivated our essence: to act decisively in extreme situations. As I always say, the “U” for Samu comes from “urgent” and this forces us to go from today to today. In 2020, we have done it dozens of times. Pos- itive patients, the cayucos or homeless do not wait for you, they force you to sleep with the corner of your eye open to jump into action. This year, we have shown again that we know how to do it. You like to define SAMU as a “force for good”. What can administrations, and civil society in general, ex- pect from SAMU? Unconditional and devoted support. Samu will be where society needs us, crossing borders wherever there is suf- fering that we can alleviate. We are privileged because our job is to work for the common good. 1.1. Interview 1.1. 1. 2020, a year that no one will forget 1.2. Chronology of an all-out fight against COVID-19 January Anticipating the pandemic At the beginning of January, China launched the SARS-Cov-2 virus alert, more popularly known as COVID-19 or, more generically, corona- virus, detected in Wuhan population. On the 30th of that month, the World Health Organization (WHO) emergency committee declared an international emergency. From the beginning, SAMU followed its evolu- tion in detail, which at that moment exceeded 8,000 confirmed cases and 200 deaths, with a hundred diagnoses outside of China. Its first effective measure was the constitution of a Monitoring Commission, as well as the development of protocols for its own team. 10 In this way, when no one could imagine the crisis that would overtake us, on January 27 SAMU organized a Simulation of Care for Patients Infected by Coronavirus, which was held at the SAMU School facilities in Gelves (Seville). Already then, in front of the media that followed this action, the director of the SAMU School, Juan González de Escalada, pointed out that the objective of SAMU was “to be as prepared as possible” for any type of intervention derived from this epidemic. February Everything ready for the inevitable ending In mid-February, figures of people infected by coronavirus in Spain and internationally were already unleashed. There were more than 64,000 infected people and a death toll close to 5,000 in our country. SAMU was preparing internally to be able to mobilize resources and meet the requirements that would surely arise from public adminis- trations and groups and entities of a social nature. Annual Report 2020-2021 SAMU 11 1.2. Chronology of an all-out fight against COVID-19 an all-out fight against of Chronology 1.2. 1. 2020, a year that no one will forget March Lockdown and multiplication of deployments On March 14, lockdown due to coronavirus is established. This implies the total paralysis of the activity at the national level and the gen- eralized confinement, with the exception of essential services. The contagion figures are growing unchecked, especially in certain com- munities such as Madrid, and significantly affecting some social seg- ments, such as the elderly in long-term care homes. The deployments by SAMU follow one another in cascade. For them, the involvement of volunteers and professionals sensitized with the effects of the pan- demic is sought and the entity’s own resource structure is mobilized, with a strong weight of qualified and experienced staff crises man- agement. 12 Annual Report 2020-2021 SAMU 13 March The outbreak of the pandemic brought with it an additional problem: MASK a general situation of shortages of masks and other PPE (Personal WORKSHOP: Protective Equipment) to deal with the coronavirus.