An inspection by the Occupational Safety and Health Service in 2024 revealed potential health risks to all professionals and patients in the Dermatovenereology department at Hospital Egas Moniz, part of the Lisbon Western Local Health Unit (ULSLO). The report cites the presence of substances like formaldehyde and volatile organic compounds (VOC) as detrimental to air quality, leading to a ban on the entry of pregnant and lactating women into the area.
“We are monitoring the situation through the president of the Local Health Unit, with whom I have already spoken several times. The Local Health Unit and the Board of Directors are currently intervening,” Ana Paula Martins stated during a mental health event at the Belém Cultural Center in Lisbon.
The issue was first identified in 2020 when initial measurements showed elevated pollutant levels, prompting urgent intervention requests. Since then, service professionals have warned of the lack of concrete solutions, even sending a letter to the Ministry of Labor, Solidarity, and Social Security.
Hospital sources also mentioned that due to the conditions identified, a pregnant doctor was removed from the service as a precaution.
