Hospital Emergency in Chaos: Computer Glitches Force Closure and Patient Diversions in Loures

Urgency at Beatriz Ângelo Hospital Faces Severe Disruptions Due to IT Issues

The Beatriz Ângelo Hospital in Loures is grappling with significant computer system failures, causing major disruptions in its emergency services. These problems are not new, having started last week, and have led to the postponement of scheduled consultations and surgeries.

Non-critical patients are being redirected to emergency departments at other hospitals, such as Santa Maria Hospital in Lisbon, to manage the overflow. Despite reports, the hospital has not officially confirmed a full closure of the general emergency service, only admitting to "strong constraints."

In a statement to Antena 1, the hospital explained that the issue arose from a failure of an IT equipment, making it difficult to access clinical processes. This prompted the activation of a contingency plan, which included delaying planned appointments. As the problem could not be fully resolved, scheduled surgeries for the following morning were also postponed, though urgent cases will still be handled.

The hospital assured that critical and inpatient activities, along with pediatric and gynecology-obstetrics emergency services, remain operational. An embedded video and image from the incident provide visual context to the situation.