The need to retain doctors, nurses, and technicians by creating favorable conditions was highlighted by Paulo Raimundo, who criticized the government’s lack of action as contributing to the dismantling of the healthcare system. This statement was made following incidents involving the deaths of two babies, whose mothers faced challenges in accessing emergency hospital care.
Raimundo emphasized that a limit had been reached, describing the actions of the Minister of Health not as incompetence but as faithfully executing the government’s program, which he criticized as detrimental to the National Health Service (SNS), patients, and expectant mothers.
Speaking at the 35th edition of the Women’s Walk organized by CDU/Porto in Vilar de Mouros, district of Viana do Castelo, Raimundo remarked that the minister is actively implementing government policy, urging accountability for political decisions without waiting for further tragic outcomes.
He questioned the benefit of changing the minister if it would not resolve the issues of closed emergency services or staff retention, arguing for immediate political change if it were effective.
The current situation, according to the PCP secretary-general, is also attributable to PSD, CDS, Chega, IL, and PS, despite the latter’s criticisms and their support for the government’s program, which he argued includes not only privatizations but also the dismantling of the SNS.
Raimundo stressed the necessity of viewing the SNS as a solution to public healthcare issues, condemning ongoing fragmentation and dismantlement efforts. He criticized the closure of eight emergency services and questioned the absence of available doctors, suggesting the public sector adopt private sector recruitment strategies.
Reports indicated a pregnant woman at 31 weeks lost her baby after being referred to a hospital more than an hour away. The Ministry of Health refuted claims of refused service, noting that the woman was accompanied by an INEM doctor during her transfer from Barreiro to Cascais Hospital.
Another case involved a pregnant woman who unsuccessfully contacted the Health 24 line before reaching emergency services, leading to transportation issues when the S. Bernardo Hospital’s emergency services in Setúbal, expected to be operational, closed due to overcrowding—a claim also denied by the ministry.
