“There are fewer closed emergencies and more open ones today,” stated the government official at a press conference following the Council of Ministers. In the Setúbal Peninsula, specifically in obstetrics, “there have been no closures so far in July.”
However, on July 9, the Hospital do Barreiro in the Setúbal district suspended its obstetrics emergency service and delivery ward for ten days. Additionally, this weekend of July 19 and 20, the gynecology and obstetrics emergency at Hospital Garcia de Orta in Almada will be closed.
Starting in September, the government anticipates that emergencies at Hospital Garcia de Orta will be open “permanently every day of the year, 24 hours a day.”
“The Minister of Health and the government treat it as one of their priorities: the ‘rescue of the SNS [National Health Service], which we found in a very difficult situation just over a year ago,” said Leitão Amaro.
When the previous government took office, “we presented a plan with emergency measures and transformation measures that are being implemented and are yielding results,” stated the minister, indicating that today there are “140,000 more people with a family doctor” and “shorter waiting times in emergencies.”
However, he warned that the path is difficult. “If we could resolve all health problems by law, we would have already done so,” but “that is not possible.”
As of today, two new ambulances are enhancing the response of obstetric emergencies on the south bank of the Tejo, aiming to ensure safety and speed in assisting pregnant women during the summer.
The reinforcement was announced on Thursday by the National Institute of Medical Emergency (INEM) and the Portuguese Firefighters League (LBP) following a meeting with the Minister of Health on Monday.
According to the LBP, these two new ambulances, to be operated by firefighters in the region, will help minimize potential impacts related to patient mobility.
These emergency services, which will operate until September 30, will be stationed at hospitals with closed obstetric emergencies on the south bank, rotating among the hospitals of Almada, Barreiro, and Setúbal.
Recently, the Minister of Health announced that the Hospital Garcia de Orta in Almada will have its obstetrics emergency open 24/7 starting in September, supported by an influx of doctors transitioning from private practice to join the National Health Service.
According to data from the transparency portal of the National Health Service (SNS) consulted today, 1,604,957 individuals were without a family doctor in June 2024. This number increased to 1,669,695 in June of this year, an additional 64,738 users.
[Updated at 5:24 PM]
