Madrid’s CEMTRO clinic, a FIFA Medical Center of Excellence known for treating elite athletes like soccer stars 🏃⚽, transformed overnight into a COVID-19 battleground during Spain’s 2020 state of emergency. 🚨
‘The situation isn’t optimistic,’ shared a frontline doctor at the facility, which suspended its usual sports medicine operations to help overwhelmed public hospitals. Over 90% of its resources were redirected to virus care – a dramatic pivot for a clinic founded in 1988 by Dr. Pedro Guillén, a pioneer in treating sports injuries.
Staff scrambled to adopt strict anti-infection protocols while treating critically ill patients. ‘One day we’re mending torn ligaments,’ said a nurse, ‘the next, we’re decoding ventilator settings.’ The clinic’s journey mirrors global healthcare struggles during the pandemic’s peak – a story of adaptation under pressure. 🌡️🩺
