LOGROÑO, 17 September 2026 – The Parlamento de La Rioja on Thursday approved a permanent, accredited training programme on COVID persistente in the regional health system. Further proposals by the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) for a time-limited working group and a detailed government report on the state of care failed to secure a majority.
PSOE MP Miguel González de Legarra recalled that on 12 March 2026 the Parliament had unanimously passed a Proposición no de ley to improve care for those affected. However, key demands – such as formal coordination structures between medical specialties and a care report – had “not been adequately implemented”. The groups from Partido Popular and Vox rejected the working group and reporting requirement in the plenary session. Partido Popular, PSOE and Izquierda Unida family.
representatives of people affected described gaps in care before and on the sidelines of the session. Rubén López, president of the Asociación Regional de COVID Persistente, called for binding coordination pathways and a named medical contact for each specialty. Members of the association reported a lack of awareness about the diagnosis and doubts in doctors’ surgeries, as well as problems getting occupational health consequences recognised.
The regional government pointed to steps already under way. These included a specialist clinic led by doctor José Ramón Blanco, regular meetings between the directorate of the Servicio Riojano de Salud and patient representatives, as well as initial training programmes for staff. The government cited the expected national framework as the reason for outstanding issues.
With its decision of 17 September, Parliament makes training a structural feature, while avoiding additional reporting requirements and tight deadlines. The decision offers short-term ways to improve the transfer of knowledge across the region. Whether it addresses the criticised coordination shortcomings will depend on the courses’ scope, quality and participation rate – and on whether responsibilities are clearly assigned in parallel between primary care, specialist outpatient clinics and rehabilitation services.
The opposition parties PSOE and Izquierda Unida announced that they would continue to press for binding coordination mechanisms, a register of those affected and systematic evaluation. The governing parties Partido Popular and Vox stressed that care should be improved step by step and duplicate structures avoided. For those affected, it therefore remains unclear when fixed points of contact, standardised guidelines and reliable transitions between levels of care will be established beyond training programmes.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).