The clarification, requested by Lusa, follows the Local Health Unit (ULS) Amadora-Sintra’s statement that only late Sunday afternoon was it confirmed that the pregnant woman, who died on Friday, had been receiving primary healthcare from this ULS since July 2025.
The ULS Amadora-Sintra justified this by citing “the absence of a fully integrated clinical information system that allows for the automatic sharing of data and medical records between different services and units.”
“Information sharing is critical for delivering safe and quality care. In the National Health Service, all doctors can access the clinical records of all patients from any Local Health Unit through the Electronic Health Record – Professional Area,” the SPMS highlighted in a written response.
They explained that the Electronic Health Record is composed of clinical data collected electronically for each citizen, produced by entities providing healthcare, whether primary or hospital care.
“It allows the registration and sharing of clinical information among patients, health professionals, and service provider entities in accordance with the requirements of the National Data Protection Commission,” they added.
Citizens can access it through the SNS 24 personal area, and professionals access it through the professional area.
SPMS noted that it is finalizing the migration of hospital care systems supporting administrative and clinical services to the Hospital Suite – version 2 of SONHO and SClínico.
“Out of 42 institutions, only four entities have yet to complete the migration, a process that is crucial for the health sector’s digital transition and the Unified Electronic Health Record project,” they emphasized.
The president of the Local Health Unit Amadora-Sintra resigned following the incident of the pregnant woman’s death on Friday.
The Health Minister, Ana Paula Martins, stated to journalists in Porto that she accepted the resignation of the ULS Amadora-Sintra president, Carlos Sá.
“On Sunday, the chairman of the Board of Directors of ULS Amadora-Sintra informed me that part of the information I had been given was incomplete, meaning the information I had relayed was not the full picture because the pregnant woman had indeed had monitoring consultations in the primary healthcare of the same ULS,” she noted.
The minister further added, “Exactly because this failure is considered grave, he offered his resignation, and I accepted the resignation of the board chairman.”
Expressing regret over the death of the pregnant woman and her baby, the official explained that, on Friday, during the State Budget debate for 2026, she conveyed the information she had received from ULS Amadora-Sintra.
“It was information that was given to me, and not only to me but also to all Portuguese through the media,” she emphasized.
Ana Paula Martins pointed out that she always takes great care with such information because it is clinical information, and it is not her place to comment on clinical cases.
In the meantime, Carlos Sá justified his resignation, citing ethical duty and personal responsibility, following a detailed analysis of the facts related to the case last week involving the death of a pregnant woman.
On Sunday, ULS Amadora-Sintra recognized that the 36-year-old pregnant woman had been under primary healthcare since July.
