“This is not merely a technical incident. The occurrence reveals alarming negligence in the maintenance of essential systems, as well as the absence of robust and properly tested contingency plans at a peripheral hospital unit that serves a large population and already operates under constant strain,” warns Fnam in a statement.
The Amadora/Sintra Local Health Unit announced at 10:00 that activities in the emergency department of Hospital Professor Doutor Fernando Fonseca (HFF) are being restored, following the temporary interruption experienced in recent days due to an IT failure.
Speaking to the Lusa agency, Fnam president Joana Bordalo e Sá stated that this failure also affected other services, such as consultations, examinations, some surgeries, and the prescription of medications, which are being done manually.
For Fnam, this situation once again exposes “the serious structural weaknesses of the National Health Service.”
“The interruption of the normal functioning of a hospital of this size for several days due to a technical failure is the direct reflection of the continued lack of investment in the SNS infrastructure,” it emphasizes.
According to the federation, this responsibility “lies with the Ministry of Health, led by Ana Paula Martins, which, similar to the previous governmental cycle, does not present a solid investment plan to prevent this type of serious failures, putting patient safety at risk and worsening the fatigue of healthcare professionals.”
Fnam warns that without an effective change in policies and priorities, incidents like this will not only repeat but are likely to become more frequent.
It reiterates the urgent need for a national plan for the maintenance and modernization of hospital infrastructure, with special attention to critical systems such as air conditioning, energy, safety, and IT support.
“The health of patients and the dignity of working conditions for SNS professionals cannot continue to be jeopardized by avoidable failures,” the federation stresses.
During the emergency service interruption, the hospital urged patients to contact the SNS24 line for alternative options.
