A group of around 50 individuals reportedly forced their way into the emergency room of Abrantes Hospital early last Saturday, demanding the resuscitation of a man who had died in a car accident.
Reports indicate that the group’s members insisted healthcare professionals perform resuscitation maneuvers on the man who was killed while driving a high-powered vehicle. He was reportedly deceased upon arrival at the hospital.
Order was restored following the intervention of Police of Public Security (PSP) officers who managed to remove the group from the premises.
The Médio Tejo Local Health Unit (ULS), overseeing the Abrantes hospital, acknowledged a “tense situation” over the weekend.
The ULS attributed the incident to “an irreversible death of the transported patient” and assured that there were “no injuries or physical harm to health professionals,” with material damages recorded as very limited.
The health unit stated that the authorities’ intervention was “immediate and decisive in restoring normalcy, safeguarding the security of patients, professionals, and hospital facilities from the outset.”
“The individuals involved complied with all instructions given by the public security forces, who remained on-site until the situation was fully resolved. It’s important to highlight that no formal complaints have been made by either patients or healthcare professionals regarding this incident,” it added.
In a statement shared with Notícias ao Minuto, the administration of ULS Médio Tejo expressed “solidarity with all professionals on duty and acknowledged their dedication to maintaining care continuity amid a particularly tense situation,” emphasizing that “the daily operations of an Emergency Medical-Surgical Service naturally involve high emotional and human tension due to the severity of the clinical situations presented” and that “the professionals of ULS Médio Tejo are trained and prepared to act with calmness and competence in close collaboration with security forces.”
The ULS Médio Tejo Board of Directors is committed to “adopting all measures necessitated by this type of occurrence, in conjunction with relevant internal services and security entities, to continuously enhance security conditions and support for professionals.”
“ULS Médio Tejo remains committed to the prevention and management of conflict situations in hospital settings, in line with the Action Plan for the Prevention of Violence in the Health Sector (PAPVSS), the Executive Directorate of the National Health Service (DE-SNS), and the Directorate-General of Health (DGS),” the statement noted.
The institution reiterated that its focus “remains on delivering quality healthcare with safety and respect for all citizens.”
