No critical incidents were reported, said ULS Algarve
The Algarve’s public health system withstood Monday’s blackout with no critical incidents reported, according to an official statement released by the Local Health Unit (ULS) of the Algarve.
Despite a nationwide power outage that left large portions of Portugal and Spain without electricity, the region’s hospitals and emergency services emerged from the crisis with no major disruption caused.
“Fortunately, due to the outstanding performance of our healthcare professionals and the reliability of our technical systems, no critical occurrences were recorded,” ULS Algarve announced.
The outage, which began at around 11.30am, led to the suspension of non-urgent scheduled activities at the region’s health centres and hospitals. Only oncology day hospitals remained operational, ULS Algarve says. Meanwhile, A&E departments at the Faro, Portimão, and Lagos hospitals, as well as the Basic Emergency Services in Vila Real de Santo António, Loulé, and Albufeira, continued operating without any disruptions.
Intensive care units and inpatient beds remained available throughout the blackout, the local health authority reported. Childbirth procedures, both natural and caesarean, proceeded without complication, and primary care centres also stayed open for acute illness consultations.
However, some of the over 90 buildings operated by ULS Algarve faced issues with water supply, particularly the outpatient facility at Faro Hospital. In Portimão, a delay in the activation of the emergency generator at the hospital required manual intervention. However, vital support systems connected to battery and UPS backups continued to function without incident.
By Tuesday morning, the regional healthcare network had returned to normal operations, and efforts are underway to reschedule and recover the appointments and procedures affected by the blackout, ULS Algarve adds.
The ULS Crisis Office convened on both Monday and Tuesday and has committed to reviewing and strengthening its Disaster Response Plan.
On a closing note, the ULS Algarve board expressed gratitude to its healthcare and technical staff for their resilience, as well as to local civil protection services and the Regional Command for Emergency and Civil Protection, who assisted with fuel resupply and emergency support.
