“The human resources are already notably insufficient during the year, and now, with the closures, both maternity hospitals in Coimbra exemplify a practical and undeniable accumulation of workload,” the union stated today in a communiqué.
The union noted that poor working conditions and extremely difficult circumstances “are only overcome by the effort, professionalism, dedication, and quality of care from all professionals who have managed to prevent serious situations, posing significant risks to women, babies, and the professionals themselves.”
The union emphasized that the lack of human resources and the aging workforce present another challenge for maternity hospitals in maintaining their schedules, with healthcare professionals “being overwhelmed with overtime, leading to inhumane work rhythms.”
“Labor rights are taken from professionals to address this issue with schedules/timetables at breakneck speeds, a relentless effort from those who are already pushed to their limits,” they reported.
Nurses from the ULS in the Leiria region have been designated to assist these maternity hospitals, but this does not solve the underlying structural problem, the union added.
“The (also extraordinary) work these professionals will perform, without any integration period, is a piecemeal effort, detached from the comprehensive and integrated vision of nursing care,” the communiqué states.
The union urged for Coimbra’s two maternity hospitals to be equipped with human and physical resources to continue serving as “centers of excellence in obstetric, gynecological, and neonatal care” in the central region.
The ULS of Coimbra responded that there has been a notable increase in the demand for its obstetric emergency services, a result of regional referral network constraints.
The ULS emphasized that there has been an exceptional reinforcement of nursing responses at Coimbra’s maternity hospitals, ensuring appropriate care for pregnant women and newborns.
“All specialized nurses in maternal and obstetric health from the hospital area have been assigned to the maternity units. Moreover, all nurses undergoing specialized training in this area, and the nursing team, have been further strengthened with general care nurses to respond to emerging care needs,” the ULS stated.
The ULS highlighted that the partnership with the counterpart in the Leiria region enabled the deployment of over a dozen nurses, thereby contributing to better management of care activities.
“Concurrently, a partnership with the Coimbra Nursing School for the specialized training of new nurses in maternal and obstetric health is nearing completion to sustainably strengthen the system’s future response capacity,” it added.
