Left Block resigns Minister for Deaths in Portimão

O Left Block (BE) of the Algarve today asked for the resignation of the Minister of Health, Ana Paula Martins, following the cases of deaths of users waiting for assistance in the emergency service of the Hospital of Portimão.

“ The Minister of Health's resignation is required in the face of the deaths at the Hospital de Portimão ", defended the party, in a statement from the Secretariat of the Algarve District Coordinating Commission.

The regional party structure of the Bloc considered that care at the hospital in Portimão, but also in Faro, is being affected by a “degradation” of the National Health Service (SNS) in the Algarve, which has been “enhanced” in the governments of AD (PSD/CDS-PP) led by Luís Montenegro and the implementation of the Local Health Unit (ULS) of the Algarve.

The Block recalled the warnings made by the party and other personalities that the concentration of resources and services of three hospitals (Faro, Portimão and Lagos) and Health Centers and Extensions in the ULS of the Algarve “would cause a disaster” in the region, affecting the care of about half a million inhabitants and more than 20,000 users without a family doctor.

“ Unfortunately, it is becoming a reality and it has only been a little more than two years,” he lamented, arguing that the Algarve’s ULS is among the “most underfunded”, has difficulties in hiring human resources and professionals are worn out due to lack of working conditions.

In parallel, the region has “more and more private health equipment”, which “absorb doctors and other professionals who miss the National Health Service, contrasted.

“The Portimão Hospital that is part of the ULS/Algarve is the public health unit where the chaos was most accentuated,” he considered, referring to the cases of death of two elderly in emergency services while awaiting medical care and the ongoing investigation of two other cases, one of them a child, related to hospital care in the Algarve unit.

BE classified the situation as a “true tragedy” and criticized the Government and the Health Minister for being aware of the “reigning positions in the Hospital of Portimão” and not acting.

“ In the face of such degradation and disaster of the SNS in the Algarve and especially in the Hospital de Portimão, the responsibility is effectively political. The main responsibility is the government of Luís Montenegro, the Minister of Health. The Left Block/Algarve demands the resignation of the Health Minister, Ana Paula Martins ", asked the party.

On Wednesday, the president of the District Commission of Aquida in the Algarve demanded the “strict investigation” of the episodes recorded in the emergency rooms of Hospital de Portimão, defending urgent measures and accountability of those involved.

Both the Algarve ULS and the General Inspection of Health Activities (IGAS) have started investigations after the cases have been revealed.

On November 7, the mayor of Portimão stated that the cases of deaths due to alleged lack of care at the city hospital are “extreme gravity” and require “urgent measures”, while the secretary-general of the PS, José Luís Carneiro, asked the government and the Prime Minister for clarification, classifying the information as “very worrying” for a unit that serves thousands of inhabitants of various municipalities of the Algarve barlavento.

Two days later, the Health Minister announced that she was going to fire the president of the ULS of the Algarve, Tiago Martins da Silva, because the urgency of the Hospital of Portimão was not working well and the manager was aware of these difficulties of operation.