From the beginning of the year until August, there has been a positive development in the operation of emergency services, with an overall reduction of 34% in the number of closure days across different services—adult, pediatric, and obstetrics,” stated the organization led by Álvaro Almeida.
According to the Executive Directorate of the National Health Service (DE-SNS), this decrease in the first eight months of 2025 translates to 481 fewer closure days compared to the same period last year.
During the summer months—June to August—traditionally seen as more challenging due to increased demand and resource constraints, it was possible to reduce closure days by 41% across all services, equivalent to 285 fewer days of closure (-85% in general emergency, -48% in pediatrics, and -35% in obstetrics).
As reported by DE-SNS, during the weekend of August 15, characterized as “more complex” due to vacations and a public holiday, it was “possible to ensure the opening of 100% of general emergencies, 98% of pediatric, and 90% of obstetrics services.”
“Despite the improvements, there are still problems arising from a severe shortage of human resources, especially in gynecology/obstetrics and pediatrics,” the executive directorate acknowledged, emphasizing that these “constraints have a direct impact on the operation” of the emergency network, whose model has “shown weaknesses over the years.”
From January to August, the obstetrics services with the highest number of closure days were the emergency units in the local health units (ULS) Arco Ribeirinho and Almada/Seixal.
“However, it should be clarified that the rotation model in place between ULS Arco Ribeirinho, ULS Arrábida, and ULS Almada/Seixal ensured the response in the Setúbal Peninsula region,” noted DE-SNS.
For the Setúbal Peninsula, deemed the most critical due to a lack of health professionals to complete rosters, the Government aims to establish, in the short term, a regional obstetric emergency unit, with Garcia de Orta Hospital operating permanently and the Setúbal hospital receiving cases referred by SNS 24 and INEM.
The potential closure of the obstetric emergency in Barreiro recently led dozens of patients to protest the solution in a gathering outside the hospital. Regional mayors have also expressed opposition to this solution.
