“It’s true that I don’t usually call for ministers’ resignations, which is not part of Livre’s style either, but we must acknowledge if ministers have the conditions to continue or not. The Health Minister already had few, and now even less,” stated Rui Tavares.
The Livre MP spoke on the sidelines of a campaign action for Sunday’s elections in Barcelos, Braga district, after RTP reported on Monday that a baby was born on Saturday in the emergency reception of Hospital Santos Silva, during the mother’s second visit to the facility.
Tavares, who was in Vila Nova de Gaia on Monday, recalled that the party also campaigned in that municipality during the legislative elections in May and at that time met with the hospital’s management.
“The Gaia Hospital provides an extraordinary service but to a region that is too large because it covers the entire south of Porto district and the north of Aveiro district,” he noted.
Rui Tavares expressed his deep concern about the incident, adding that there are facts to confirm.
“We want a National Health Service and a public administration that is always inclusive and treats everyone with the dignity they deserve, so we will follow this case very closely,” he added.
The case was reported by RTP, which stated that the child’s father has filed a complaint with several entities, claiming the baby fell headfirst during birth while the mother was being admitted.
To Lusa, the administration of the Gaia/Espinho Local Health Unit (ULSGE) denied that the pregnant woman had not received assistance, explaining that “initially, she was assisted in the emergency room,” a space “adjacent to the reception area staffed by doctors and nurses.”
“Mother and newborn have already been discharged,” it added.
ULSGE admits that the pregnant woman sought the emergency service at Santos Silva at 4:30 PM, where a CTG (cardiotocography, an exam that monitors the fetal heart rate and the mother’s uterine contractions) was performed, “where it was found that the patient was not in an active phase of labor, and no sudden alteration of the condition was foreseeable.”
“Considering the short distance between the residence and the hospital, less than 10 minutes, and according to the Obstetrics Specialty recommendations, we applied the usual procedure: advising a return home, with a recommendation to return to emergency services if there were changes in the clinical condition,” the ULSGE mentioned.
According to the hospital, at 7:59 PM, during the admission process, which lasts three minutes, the birth occurred, with the pregnant woman being promptly and instantly assisted by the emergency team,” it concluded.
