Overview of Easter Weekend Closures
During the extended Easter weekend, eight emergency services will be closed on Saturday and ten on Sunday, primarily affecting obstetrics and gynecology in the Lisbon and Tagus Valley region, according to the National Health Service (SNS) portal.
Saturday's Closures
On Saturday, the number of closed emergency services rises to eight, with six of these being in obstetrics and gynecology at hospitals in Almada, Barreiro, Castelo Branco, Vila Franca de Xira, Aveiro, and Leiria. Additionally, pediatric emergency services in Vila Franca de Xira and Beatriz Ângelo hospital in Loures will also be closed.
Sunday: The Most Impacted Day
The day with the most significant operational constraints will be Easter Sunday, with ten services closed: seven in obstetrics and gynecology and three in pediatrics. The hospitals affected include:
- Garcia de Orta, Amadora-Sintra, Setúbal, Vila Franca de Xira, Santarém, Abrantes, and Leiria for obstetrics and gynecology.
- Vila Franca de Xira, Loures, and Torres Vedras for pediatrics.
Available Services
Despite these closures, around 130 emergency services will remain operational across the country, along with over 30 gynecology and obstetrics services functioning under a pilot project, which requires prior contact with the SNS 24 hotline.
Causes of Closure
These emergency service constraints are largely due to a shortage of specialist doctors needed for duty coverage, a situation that typically arises during holiday periods, such as summer and long weekends. The Lisbon and Tagus Valley region has been particularly affected, where many patients do not have a designated family doctor.
Assurance from Health Authorities
In Porto, the executive director of SNS assured that "no one will be left unattended" during the Easter weekend, downplaying the impact of the emergency service closures. Álvaro Almeida, the director, acknowledged the lack of human resources in the Lisbon area, stating that completing duty rosters is "extremely difficult" during holidays.
The SNS Executive Directorate is in continuous contact with Local Health Units (ULS) to coordinate the SNS network's response, indicating that the 10 closures on Sunday represent 6% of the approximately 170 public emergency services in the network.
Future Solutions
The DE-SNS is working on a multidimensional solution to address the temporary closure of certain emergency services, which includes creating conditions to attract more specialist doctors to the affected ULS. In obstetrics, where the most constraints will occur, patients can contact the SNS Grávida Line to be directed to the most suitable service for their clinical condition.
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