“The regional emergencies, firstly, are not only for obstetrics and gynecology, they will also be for other specialties (…),” stated the government official on the sidelines of the 3rd National Congress of Pharmaceutical Distribution, emphasizing that regional emergencies are imperative due to a lack of human resources.
Faced with constant constraints in emergency services, particularly in obstetrics, the minister noted that “more than twice the number of professionals”—specialist doctors and nurses—working full-time in the National Health Service would be required to ensure emergencies, stressing that “these people simply do not exist.”
“Even if all the obstetricians working in Portugal, in both the public and private sectors—a large part being in the private sector—suddenly moved to the public sector, which we know will not happen, (…) we would still not be able to stop conducting regional emergencies,” she stated.
Regarding the baby born on Saturday in the reception of the Santos Silva Hospital’s emergency room at the Gaia/Espinho Local Health Unit (ULSGE), the minister remarked that such a situation cannot leave anyone at ease but emphasized that “the hospital has mechanisms that have already been activated to objectively report what happened.”
She also noted that the General Inspection of Health Activities (IGAS) has already opened an investigation.
“Obviously, we also cannot spend our time on inquiries and investigations. What we want is for the National Health Service to function and function well,” she said.
Ana Paula Martins refrained from further comments on the matter, stating she does not know the full reality. “We don’t know in what condition the woman arrives at the emergency, we don’t know how the triage was done. We don’t know exactly, that is the truth,” she concluded.
A baby was born on Saturday in the reception of the emergency room at the Santos Silva Hospital during the second visit the mother made to this service, confirmed today by the Gaia/Espinho Local Health Unit (ULSGE).
Lusa | 18:07 – 06/10/2025
When asked about the resignation of the clinical director of Hospital Doutor Fernando da Fonseca (Amadora-Sintra), Ana Paula Martins stated that the health professional stepped down “for personal reasons.”
“Sometimes in our lives, we have challenges, we have the energy to face these challenges—and in Amadora Sintra, a lot of energy is needed to face those daily challenges—but there are moments when our life doesn’t allow us to continue to fulfill that mission. And at that time, it’s not giving up; it’s an act of courage,” she said, highlighting that the clinical director performed the work “with great dedication.”
Regarding criticisms of a lack of political authority, particularly from left-wing parties, Ana Paula Martins responded: “We are in an election period, and it is natural. (…) We should not personalize the criticisms, but my response is that the minister does not lack the political authority to make the decisions she needs to make; she does not lack energy, nor the will.”
Concerning the statements of the President of the Republic, who noted he is closely observing the health sector and will comment on the matter after the local elections, the minister again refrained from commenting on Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa’s words, simply stating she is at ease with this assessment.
“I am very at ease with the evaluation that, naturally, those I serve, the Portuguese people, make of the policies we are implementing. And this is called democratic humility. I wanted to make it very clear that we have to be open to criticisms, have the humility to accept them, to internalize them, and to always improve our actions,” declared Ana Paula Martins.
[Updated at 13:37]
