The MUSP in Coimbra has called for “the reopening and enhancement of the Covões emergency services as a reference in the National Health Service” and urged “more public investment in doctors, nurses, and technicians.”
The ULS of Coimbra (Hospitals of the University of Coimbra) announced that as of today, the Emergency Service at Covões Hospital operates as a Clinical Care Center, addressing acute non-emergent situations.
The ULS justified this measure due to the low demand for emergency services, estimated at 10 to 15 visits per day. Henrique Alexandrino, the director of the Emergency Service at ULS Coimbra, cited to Lusa the need for better resource management.
“The alleged lack of demand was caused by the government itself, by ceasing to direct patients to Covões through the Saúde 24 helpline, diverting them to private and distant units,” countered the MUSP, which considers “it to be an economic decision.”
The PCP has already demanded the reversal of the decision, arguing that “the number of users covered by the area served by this hospital justifies maintaining the emergency services at Covões Hospital in full,” emphasizing that “emergencies are not superfluous, they are not redundancies, they are not waste.”
