The Portuguese Communist Party (PCP), through deputy Paula Santos, has formally queried the Ministry of Health regarding the “fragile condition and lack of air conditioning” in health facilities housed in Coimbra’s Norton de Matos Health Center.
The PCP has inquired about the measures the government will adopt to implement an effective air conditioning solution, as well as whether there are plans to allocate necessary funds for the renovation and urgent repairs of the health center’s facilities.
Coimbra’s Norton de Matos Health Center includes the Family Health Units (USF) Pulsar, Norton de Matos, Briosa, and the Norton de Matos Community Care Unit, serving a total of 40,000 patients.
In its inquiry, the PCP describes a multitude of issues: non-functional air conditioning in most facilities, lack of sinks in multiple nursing stations, inadequate furniture and therapeutic equipment, damaged floors and walls, poorly insulated windows, repurposed rooms leading to insufficient space, and the absence of emergency plans.
“Current summer conditions have resulted in exceptionally high interior temperatures, often surpassing those outdoors, creating thermal discomfort, and deteriorating working and clinical conditions. These conditions also affect patients, many of whom are elderly, children, pregnant women, and individuals with chronic illnesses, which are not alleviated by merely distributing fans,” the PCP noted.
The party reports incidents of patient discomfort necessitating on-site clinical interventions due to these conditions, alongside cooling system failures leading to the spoilage of stored vaccines.
In February, these healthcare units experienced severe flooding.
The PCP also warned that the planned expansion project does not address the current issues, as the new facilities “will not have the capacity to accommodate all existing units,” with no upgrades planned for the current buildings.
“Thus, a structural future solution does not appear to be assured or contractually planned,” concludes the inquiry to the Ministry of Health.
