Javier Rodríguez caused a political scandal that divided the country when he made a series of comments about Teresa Romero while she was in hospital fighting for her life.
The nurse caught the virus after volunteering to care for the 70-year-old Spanish missionary who was repatriated from west Africa. The Health Minister claimed that Ms Romero may have lied about how she became infected.
Mr Rodríguez then angered many within his own party when he also said "you don’t need a Masters to learn how to put on and take off a suit" or "some people are better at learning than others."
Madrid’s regional health chief described the Minister’s comments as “unfortunate,” but Ms Romero’s lawyer, José María Garzón, said that his apology was not enough to cover the damage made to the nurse’s reputation.
The Catalan newspaper La Vanguardia reports that the nurse has demanded €150,000 to “clean up Teresa’s image,” and to address the comments which “seriously damaged the reputation and privacy” of the nurse.
Ms Romero has indicated that any money she wins will be donated to animal rights charities, in honour of her dog, Excalibur.
The dog was euthanised as a precaution by Madrid medical officals, despite becoming a cause célèbre on Spanish social media.
