On Saturday, Carlos Cortes, the Head of the Medical Association, expressed concerns that the Hospital of Vila Franca de Xira is at risk of losing its capacity to train new obstetrics doctors, as it currently has only one specialist on staff.
Carlos Cortes stated that the gynecology and obstetrics service has been deteriorating in recent years, with the gradual departure of its doctors, now leaving only one specialist on the permanent staff.
“The Hospital of Vila Franca de Xira is completely unaware of any document regarding its Obstetrics Service, issued by any entity,” the hospital unit declared in a statement sent to Lusa.
When contacted by the Lusa agency, the hospital unit reported that it currently has three specialist doctors in its Obstetrics Service. Furthermore, the Local Health Unit (ULS) Estuário do Tejo is in the process of hiring four obstetrics specialists.
The Hospital also mentioned that it is strengthening the Obstetrics Service team by hiring more temporary doctors in this specialty.
The Head of the Medical Association said on Saturday that during a recent visit by the obstetrics specialty college to assess training conditions, the Hospital of Vila Franca de Xira had four specialists, but “now only one remains on the service’s permanent staff.”
“This is very concerning,” admitted Carlos Cortes, adding that the Association is taking all necessary steps to ensure that interns from that hospital, when they return from internships at other hospitals, can be relocated to hospitals that can provide the training, “which is not the case with Vila Franca de Xira at the moment.”
According to Carlos Cortes, if the ULS Estuário do Tejo does not quickly find a solution with the executive board of the National Health Service, the hospital will have “a very significant response difficulty” for patients.
Earlier this month, Health Minister Ana Paula Martins assured that the maternity of the Hospital of Vila Franca de Xira will not close, in response to concerns expressed by the mayors of the five municipalities served by this local health unit.
“We are not going to close the maternity. We are indeed studying the referral network for emergencies to ensure safety for pregnant women and babies,” Ana Paula Martins stated at the time, during the inauguration of the Health Campus of the Vila Franca de Xira Mercy.
“I see it as extremely difficult to solve Vila Franca de Xira’s problem in the short term. More doctors would need to be hired for the service. I find it difficult, given the obstetrics context, for Vila Franca de Xira to have that capability,” admitted Carlos Cortes.
