Rebuilding the centre after the Civil War

At the end of the Civil War, the Casa de Salud de Santa Cristina had not suffered too much damage, as it escaped being bombed. Nevertheless, there were several problems arising from wear and tear and from the building of a bomb shelter in the cellars during the war. An additional problem was the increasing number of women arriving at the centre seeking assistance. From 2,000 deliveries a year in the pre-war period the figure rose to 3,000 in 1940. This meant that some rebuilding was needed and this was commissioned to the architect Lorenzo Gallego. To increase the capacity of the centre, the architect designed an extension to the façade in Duque de Sexto street, where the solarium was located.

Otherwise, the institution returned to its functions from the pre-war period. José Bourkaib Besó was appointed director of the centre and José Gálvez Guinachero ran the Trust. The Sisters of Charity San Vicente Paul returned to their posts.

The gradual increase in deliveries at the Casa de Salud de Santa Cristina clearly reflects the institutionalising of births, and this happened much faster in cities. In fact, delivery at home continued in rural Spain until the late 1960s.

Of course, this was not the only restructuring of the institution, which had to adapt to the times. In 1987 the hospital became part of the INSALUD (National Health Institute) and 2007 saw the end of its activities as a maternity centre when they were transferred to the Hospital Gregorio Marañón.