This year, the Spanish Red Cross commemorates the 150th anniversary of its creation in the Region of Murcia, which, precisely, was one of the first communities in Spain to have this humanitarian organization established. It was in 1873, just ten years after the creation of the International Committee of the Red Cross in 1863, promoted by Henry Dunant.
This was made known this Tuesday by the former retired Red Cross worker in the Region of Murcia, Rosa Navarro Avilés, who recalled that the establishment of the Red Cross commission in the Region of Murcia took place specifically on July 30, 1873 and its Initial activity was closely related to health aspects and war conflicts.
Among its original functions was the ambulance and stretcher bearer service for the care and transfer of the sick, assistance in floods or accidents of all kinds, as noted by Navarro, currently linked to the NGO as a volunteer.
The National Assembly of the Red Cross, located in Madrid, approved the creation of the entity in the Region of Murcia. Among other things, he entrusted him to, to the extent possible, also found subcommittees in the main districts of the province, noting that in some places they already existed, such as in Yecla and Lorca.
The provincial commission created various subcommittees, such as Lorca, Yecla or La Unión, all of them in 1873, and in Villa de Mazarrón in 1875, until there are approximately twenty today.
Among the most relevant events at the beginning of the Red Cross’s journey in the Region is its participation in a little-known episode of the third Carlist War in Cieza. In addition, the provincial Red Cross collaborated with the local committee of this association recently inaugurated in Cartagena (in May 1873) during the Cantonal War. In both cases, both in Cartagena and Cieza, ‘blood’ hospitals were built, the name given to the health centers to care for the wounded in these conflicts.
The role of the Red Cross in this Cantonal war was so important that it even received congratulations from the National Assembly of this organization and the press, as Navarro recalled.
As a curiosity, the humanitarian organization received a request for assistance from the Murcia Canton Board in the event that “misfortunes” occurred if its squad met that of the centralist government, according to a letter dated October 12, 1873.
In fact, October 13, 1873 was the date of the birth of the Red Cross in a maritime action, and the steamship ‘Buenaventura’ was the neutral ship that flew the insignia of this humanitarian organization, converted into a hospital ship (the first in the history of navigation), as Navarro highlighted.
The commission attached to the Red Cross in the province of Murcia was one of the first in Spain, preceded by some such as those in Navarra, Almería, Barcelona or La Coruña, founded in 1864.
The first hospitals
One of the initial milestones of the Red Cross activity in the Region of Murcia was the assistance to the wounded who arrived to the peninsula from the Rif war that took place in Morocco and, specifically, from the Annual disaster. “There were not enough hospitals, so ‘blood’ hospitals began to be created,” according to Navarro.
In fact, the first hospital created in Cartagena, inaugurated on October 18, 1921 in the ‘El Día’ building (which had been a hotel) located in Alameda de San Antón, responded precisely to that need for assistance to combatants. wounded in Annual at the end of July of that same year.
Later, in May 1923, a new hospital, office and dispensary in Cartagena was inaugurated, equipped with modern surgical equipment, a laboratory for clinical analysis, a solarium for sunbathing, a consultation for tuberculosis patients, bathrooms and showers that were welcomed “with great satisfaction.” Finally, on October 13, 1868, the definitive Red Cross hospital was inaugurated in the port city.
In the case of Murcia, the local Red Cross commission was interested in the Cartagena hospital in 1921 to try to replicate its facilities in the capital of Segura, but they would have to wait until January 6, 1923 for its inauguration. It would be called Reina Victoria Polyclinic and was located at number 38 San Nicolás Street. In 1925, the Red Cross’ “desire” to improve the facilities of the Murcia hospital was fulfilled with a new center located on Santa Quiteria Street, number 13.
The third and final hospital was built in October 1965 on land donated by the City Council in Ronda de Garay with 60 beds and “all types of services.” In addition, it was founded as a charity center, providing “those less gifted by fortune” (as the press of the time called the most vulnerable) the right to “dignified” assistance.
The hospital remained open in that location until 2006, at which time it ceased its healthcare activity. However, it continued to be a social and beneficial place for vulnerable groups until today.
Adaptation to other needs
The growth of the automobile fleet in the 1960s caused traffic accidents to increase, which led the Red Cross to establish first aid stations on the roads. In the 80s and 90s, it promoted social care, without abandoning the health aspect and the relief and emergency plan. Thus, it began to serve groups such as the elderly with programs such as telecare.
Likewise, the Red Cross began to serve the group of foreigners, hand in hand with the arrival of immigrants, with Spanish, asylum or orientation classes. In addition, the humanitarian organization paid attention to vulnerable groups with the food program and the employment plan, which provided work for people so that they would stop depending on charity.
The humanitarian organization also implemented the psychological support program and experienced a strong growth in volunteerism, incorporating, as something new, the foreign population. In addition, the NGO also gave decisive support to international cooperation and the implementation of the Youth Red Cross, in defense of children’s rights, for example.
Other recent programs of the NGO are those on drug addiction or AIDS, raising awareness in society, caring for families and guiding the sick. The Red Cross also introduced itself in a new way into prisons to serve the inmate population, with leisure workshops or to help their reintegration.
The Red Cross has also provided assistance in the most notable disasters of recent years, such as the train accident that took place in Chinchilla de Montearagón in 2003; the Lorca earthquakes in 2011; the Covid-19 pandemic; the floods of Los Alcázares; the increase in boats arriving at the coasts of the Region; or the economic crisis of 2008.
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