Spanish Navy’s LPD Galicia Tasked with Covid-19 Relief Mission

Spain yesterday overtook China in Covid-19 cases, with a number of confirmed coronavirus contaminated patients reaching 85,195 and 7,340 fatalities.

« It will take us only 24 hours to mobolize the crew, and once at sea, the ship will need between 4 and 6 hours to sail from its naval base in Rota to Mellila, »

Spanish MoD

About Galicia LPD

El buque de asalto anfibio #Galicia se prepara para acudir a aumentar la capacidad sanitaria de #Melilla.#SomosLaArmada#OperacionBalmis pic.twitter.com/Lcojpl48DJ

— Armada Española (@Armada_esp) March 31, 2020

Galicia has a length of 160 meters and a displacement of 16,000 tons. The crew consists of 191 men and women: 18 officers, 28 NCOs and 145 seamen and ratings.

While the Galicia-class LPD main mission is to conduct amphibious operations, its role includes peacekeeping operations and humanitarian and disaster relief through medical and surgical support with an operating room and intensive care unit. The two ships of the class, the Galicia and Castilla, have an hospital capacity of 10 and 12 beds. The Castilla can receive up to 105 extra beds for minor patients because the ship is specially designed to serve as a command ship to the detriment of amphibious capabilities, which are more advanced on the Galicia. 

Hospital capacity of Spanish Navy ships

The Spanish Navy does not have hospital ships as such, although there are two hospitalized ships in Spain. These are the medical and logistics support vessels Esperanza del Mar and Juan de la Cosa medical and logistics support vessels, which are operated by the ISM (Social Institute of the Navy). All major Spanish Navy warships come with a health unit onboard which size varies according to the ship’s own size and function.

In addition to the Galicia and Castilla LPDs, the Spanish Navy has three others ships capable to provide health support :

• the flagship of the Armada, the Juan Carlos I LHD. It features 26 beds, of which 8 for intensive care and 4 for infectious diseases. Up to 122 beds can be added for less seriously ill patients. The hospital facilities come with two operating rooms, X-ray, pharmacy, dentist…
• the two Patiño and Cantabria replenishment oilers. Cantabria features a hospital with 8 beds (4 for intensive care) and could enable up to 136 beds for the lightly ill. This ship also has a very well-equipped hospital and allows stabilizing surgery. The Patiño, similar although older, has the same hospital capacity and up to 140 beds for minor cases.

For the record, it was announced last week that French Navy Mistral-class LHDs Mistral and Dixmude will be deployed to Reunion Island and the Caribbean in support of the Coronavirus relief efforts while the U.S. Navy has deployed its two hospital ships to New York and Los Angeles.