Healthcare Crisis: Emergency Services Closing Over April 25th Holiday in Portugal
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Healthcare Crisis: Emergency Services Closing Over April 25th Holiday in Portugal

Health
healthcare
emergencyservices
portugal
april25
audit
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Summary:

  • Three emergency services will be closed on April 25th holiday.

  • The number of closures increases to six over the weekend.

  • Gynecology and obstetrics services are predominantly affected.

  • About 130 emergency services will remain open nationwide.

  • An audit by IGAS will investigate the closures and service management.

Emergency Services Closure Over April 25th Holiday

Three emergency services will be closed on the April 25th holiday, with the number rising to six over the weekend, primarily affecting gynecology and obstetrics, as reported by the National Health Service (SNS).

According to the updated Emergency Scales from hospitals, the gynecology and obstetrics emergency services at Hospital Garcia de Orta in Almada, Hospital Amadora-Sintra, and Hospital Nossa Senhora do Rosário in Barreiro will be closed on Friday.

On Saturday, these emergency services will also close at hospitals in Almada, Barreiro, Vila Franca de Xira, and Hospital Distrital de Santarém (obstetrics).

The services will reopen on Sunday at Vila Franca de Xira and Hospital Distrital de Santarém, while closures will occur at Hospital Distrital das Caldas da Rainha and Hospital Santo André in Leiria.

Throughout the three days, the obstetrics and gynecology emergency service at Hospital São Bernardo in Setúbal will be limited, only accepting cases referred by the Urgent Patient Orientation Center (CODU) of the National Institute of Medical Emergency (INEM).

Additionally, the pediatric emergency services at Hospital Vila Franca de Xira and Hospital Beatriz Ângelo in Loures will be closed over the weekend. The pediatric emergency at Hospital Amadora-Sintra will only operate from midnight to 8 AM and from 8 PM to midnight, accepting internal urgent cases or those referred by INEM or the SNS 24 line.

The SNS portal indicates that about 130 emergency services will remain open nationwide during the extended weekend, along with more than 30 gynecology and obstetrics services operating under a pilot project that requires prior contact with SNS 24.

The service constraints are attributed mainly to a shortage of specialist doctors to cover shifts, a situation that often arises during holiday periods, such as summer, year-end, and extended weekends.

According to CNN Portugal, the Inspectorate-General for Health Activities (IGAS) will conduct an audit regarding these closures in the coming days. Inspector-General Carlos Caeiro Carapeto stated that the audit aims to assess how the organization of work in the gynecology and obstetrics emergency services is managed, especially considering the holiday schedules of healthcare professionals.

The audit will commence next Monday, focusing initially on Hospital Garcia de Orta and Hospital do Barreiro. Notably, a pregnant woman gave birth in the hospital corridor due to the temporary closure of the emergency service, a case that will also be evaluated during the audit.

The Director-General will visit the hospitals to initiate the audit process, aiming to explain its objectives to the doctors and assist hospitals in finding solutions to improve the situation. The audit will cover the period from April 13 to May 4, encompassing the weeks with the April 25 and May 1 holidays.

One key aspect of the audit will be examining whether the holiday planning considered potential constraints during these dates. Caeiro Carapeto also mentioned that another factor to analyze will be the coordination established between hospitals and other health entities, as well as the definition of procedures for any emergency situations that may arise.

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