The director of Obstetrics at ULS Amadora-Sintra contacted the family of the deceased pregnant woman, offering psychological support if needed, according to Paloma Mendes, a family friend.
Paloma Mendes further noted that the hospital official inquired about the family’s well-being, but did not provide specifics about the psychological support available.
The family plans to file a complaint against the health minister, Ana Paula Martins, for defamation over statements she made in Parliament on Friday indicating that the deceased woman, aged 36, had not received prior care at the hospital.
On Sunday, the administration of ULS Amadora-Sintra acknowledged that the woman had been receiving primary healthcare since July, following her death after being discharged earlier in the week.
In a statement that day, the management of Amadora-Sintra Local Health Unit (ULSASI) revealed that “due to the absence of a fully integrated clinical information system that allows automatic sharing of data and medical records among different services and units,” it was only possible on Sunday afternoon to confirm that the patient had been under the care of Agualva Personalized Healthcare Unit at ULSASI since July.
The ULS administration emphasized that this information about ongoing care since July was communicated to Health Minister Ana Paula Martins on Sunday.
The woman’s family had previously assured SIC and CMTV that her pregnancy was being monitored at that healthcare facility.
According to a statement by ULS Amadora-Sintra, the 38-week pregnant woman, originally from Guinea-Bissau, was brought to the emergency room at approximately 1:50 a.m. on Friday by a team from the National Institute of Medical Emergency (INEM) in a state of cardiorespiratory arrest.
The baby was delivered through an emergency cesarean section at the Local Health Unit Amadora/Sintra but died on Saturday morning.
The hospital announced an internal inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the mother’s death, who had attended a consultation on Wednesday where hypertension was detected.
The General Inspection of Health Activities (IGAS) has also opened an inquiry process to evaluate ULS Amadora-Sintra’s provision of care.
The Health Regulatory Entity (ERS) announced the initiation of an assessment process with the same purpose, with both organizations collaborating “to obtain all necessary clarifications in a complementary manner.”
