Spanish billionaire donates 280 million euros for life-saving cancer equipment

A Spanish billionaire has donated 280 million euros to purchase life-saving cancer radiotherapy equipment for the health service.

The Amancio Ortega Foundation has again made a very large donation to the Spanish public health system. President Pedro Sánchez presided over the signing of an agreement this afternoon, Tuesday, October 19, in the Moncloa Palace Madrid whereby the foundation agreed to donate 280 million euros to buy ten proton accelerator machines to treat cancer that will be located across the country in different autonomous regions.

Amancio Ortega Gaona is a Spanish billionaire businessman and is well known for his charitable contributions to the Spanish health system. He is the founder and former chairman of Inditex fashion group, best known for its chain of Zara clothing and accessories shops.

This type of radiotherapy is especially helpful to treat childhood cancers and tumours with difficult access due to its great precision.

Proton therapy is the most advanced technology available today to fight cancer using radiation therapy. The machines will become the first proton therapy equipment that will belong to the National Health System (SNS). The only two machines in Spain are in Madrid and are owned by the private health company Quirónsalud and the Clínica Universidad de Navarra.

The signing of the agreement took place this afternoon in Madrid in a ceremony attended by the Minister of Health, Carolina Darias, representatives of Health from various autonomous communities, and the first vice president of the Amancio Ortega Foundation, Flora Pérez, among others dignitaries.

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