Speaking to journalists, alongside the executive director of the National Health Service (SNS), José Gaspar Pais attributed the situation to “adverse weather conditions” and promised that the ongoing works at the unit would be completed this week.
“We had a minor infiltration. We are making every effort to reactivate operations. The block was always functioning as an emergency unit (…). On Monday, we will resume activity in the three rooms,” said José Gaspar Dias.
The Póvoa de Varzim Hospital, located in the Porto district, has three operating rooms. On the day of the infiltration last week, only one was operational. Currently, two rooms are in use.
“We have two rooms working solely for emergencies (…). On Monday, we already have planned activities functioning at 100%,” added the president of the ULS Póvoa de Varzim/Vila do Conde. This morning, the facility was visited by Álvaro Almeida and Health Minister Ana Paula Martins, who is touring the country to prepare the SNS for the winter period.
On December 1, part of the operating block at Póvoa de Varzim Hospital, Porto district, became inoperable due to water infiltration caused by bad weather, the health unit reported on Thursday.
“On the night of last Monday, December 1, water infiltration, due to extremely adverse weather conditions, rendered a part of the Operating Block of this Local Health Unit (Póvoa de Varzim Hospital Unit) inoperable,” read a statement issued days later by the unit.
In the same text, the ULS of Póvoa de Varzim/Vila do Conde explained that “the building’s fragility was already identified, as waterproofing works were underway on the roof,” stating that the “completion deadline [for the works] is estimated for the end of next week.”
The hospital serves a population of over 150,000 residents from the two municipalities.
