The Minister of Tourism, Reyes Maroto, and the Minister of Health, Carolina Darias, have confirmed that little Mateo and his family landed this Sunday in Barcelona, where the child will be treated immediately for the hematological disease that affects him.
Little Mateo, from Lanzarote, is 21 months old and had to be admitted to a hospital in Bali after feeling ill, according to a statement from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Health and Industry.
With the arrival of Mateo and his family in Barcelona, the operation launched with the efforts made between both ministers is successfully completed, together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs through the Spanish Embassy in Indonesia, to guarantee that Mateo returned to Spain with the appropriate medical conditions to guarantee his safety, the statement adds.
Upon arriving in Bali to participate in the G-20 Trade and Tourism meetings, Minister Maroto was informed of Mateo's situation by the Spanish Ambassador to Indonesia.
At that same moment, she contacted the family members, who conveyed to her the seriousness and the need for the little one to urgently return to Spain for treatment, and the difficulty in finding available places on flights departing from the Indonesian island.
The head of Industry, Commerce and Tourism made herself available to the family to carry out the relevant procedures and try to expedite the little one's return to Spain.
Thus, Minister Maroto telephoned the Minister of Health, Carolina Darias, and they launched the entire operation to guarantee that Mateo returned to our country urgently and with the appropriate medical conditions, the press release states.
On the one hand, they carried out conversations with the Iberia-Qatar Airways (IAG) group for the logistics of the trip.
On the other hand, they requested the participation of both the Josep Carreras Foundation, with Doctor Evarist Feliu, who has been in contact with the family and with the medical team that was treating Mateo in Bali; and also the medical service of the Sant Joan de Déu Hospital, for his hospitalization.
Therefore, the ministers appreciate the commitment and help of the Spanish Embassy in Indonesia, in charge of the procedures; of the airlines belonging to the IAG group (Iberia-Qatar Airways), of the Josep Carreras Foundation, of the Sant Joan de Déu Hospital and of the Minister of Health of the Generalitat de Catalunya, Josep María Argimon, for the willingness and coordination for the arrival in Barcelona.
Similarly, throughout the operation, the ministers have maintained permanent contact with the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, and with the President of the Canary Islands, Ángel Víctor Torres, both interested in the evolution of the little one.