A computer equipment failure at Hospital Beatriz Ângelo in Loures on Monday forced the postponement of scheduled consultations and surgeries, and the redirection of non-critical patients to emergency departments of other hospitals.
The Loures and Camarate Volunteer Firefighters confirmed the issue, although the source of the problem leading to the closure of these emergency services is still unknown.
The Loures firefighters reported redirecting over 10 patients to other regional hospitals, particularly Santa Maria and São José, with “greater incidence” at the former, following guidance from the CODU (Centro de Orientação de Doentes Urgentes).
The Local Health Unit (ULS) Loures-Odivelas stated that the computer equipment failure and the difficulty in accessing medical records necessitated the activation of a contingency plan, resulting in the postponement of scheduled consultations.
“Given the persistence of the situation and the inability to fully resolve it,” scheduled surgeries for Tuesday morning were also postponed, with urgent surgeries remaining, the same source indicated.
Furthermore, according to the ULS, CODU was requested to redirect non-critical patients to other regional hospital emergencies to ensure greater safety and efficiency in care.
“The activity with critical and hospitalized patients and in pediatric, gynecology, and obstetrics emergency services remains assured,” the hospital stated, adding that technical and clinical teams are working “in a coordinated manner to mitigate and resolve the problem, minimizing impacts on care activities.”
All activities not performed due to the computer failure will be rescheduled in priority slots, it was noted.
[Updated at 17:56]
