PS/Algarve asks Government intervention plan for Portimão hospital

O president of the PS of the Algarve today defended the adoption of an intervention plan for the Hospital of Portimão, in an open letter to the Minister of Health following two deaths occurred during the waiting in the emergency room.

In the letter addressed by Hugo Pereira to the Minister of Health, Ana Paula Martins, the president of the PS of the Algarve said that the intervention plan is intended for the Hospital de Portimão and the health services of the region and is based on “the strengthening of human resources, the hiring and fixing of doctors, nurses and other professionals, the guarantee of complete scales and the regular functioning of hospital valences”.

The party leader also considered it “also essential to ensure effective mechanisms for monitoring and clinical reassessment of patients while awaiting observation” to avoid the unprotectedness of users while waiting for emergency care.

In the letter to the minister, released today by the party, Hugo Pereira said that the PS of the Algarve sees with “deep concern” the news about the operation of the Emergency Service of the Hospital of Portimão, classifying as “particularly serious” the deaths of two men, one of 87 and another of 94 years, last week, during the period in which they waited for medical care in the emergency rooms.

The president of the PS of the Algarve pointed out the lack of doctors and other health professionals and “excessive waiting times” in the emergency room, calling into question the assistance to thousands of users of the barlavento (west) algarvio and the hospital of Portimão, which is administered by the Local Health Unit of the Algarve.

“ It is not acceptable for citizens to live in uncertainty about the availability of essential services or who have to face expectations incompatible with their clinical condition ", said Hugo Pereira, however, exalting the dedication of service professionals to the care of users.

The leader of the Algarve Federation of the PS defended the implementation of “specific planning” for the Algarve reality, with a National Health Service “sized” for needs of the region and that does not depend on “one-off responses to situations of rupture and misfits of its socio-demographic reality”.

“ In view of this scenario, the PS Algarve considers it urgent that the government promote an intervention plan for the Hospital de Portimão and for all the health services in the region, based on the strengthening of human resources, the hiring and fixing of doctors, nurses and other professionals, in ensuring complete scales and the regular functioning of hospital valences ", proposed.

The regional party leader said in his letter to the minister that “algarvios do not require privileges”, but want to have “equality of access, security and dignity in health care”.

Hugo Pereira recalled that the Hospital de Portimão serves the populations of the Algarve and considered that the Algarve municipalities such as Portimão, Lagoas, Lagoa, Silves, Monchique, Vila do Bispo or Aljezur should have the same access to health care as the inhabitants of other parts of the country.

“The age, economic condition or place of residence can never constitute factors of inequality in access to health. The events at the Hospital de Portimão should be an alert to the need to act, determine responsibilities and correct failures,” Hugo Pereira said, stressing that care for populations cannot “depend on the occasional availability of resources.”.