Children and mothers transferred to Faro; no dates given for re-opening
There has been absolute astonishment today with the news that Portimão Hospital has closed its maternity, pediatric emergency and inpatient, neonatology and nursery services, due to the lack of available pediatricians.
From 9am today, ambulances started ferrying babies, children and presumably mothers from the hospital over 65 kms to Faro.
The decision appears to have come ‘out of the blue’. Say reports, it contradicts the plan for rotational closure of pediatric services every other weekend, presented by the health ministry only last week.
It is perhaps a coincidence, but it also follows the tragic death of a 10-month-old English baby at the hospital on May 19, for which there remain many unanswered questions.
For now, it has been reported that the hospital board is having an urgent meeting with CEO of the State health service Fernando Araújo.
PSD Algarve (the regional body of the country’s main opposition) has reacted with outrage, suggesting this is not a temporary change to the Algarve’s status quo.
“We fear that this is a definitive closure”, said a statement sent out to newsrooms this afternoon, signed by president Cristóvão Norte
“The SNS (State health service) is retreating from the western Algarve: pregnant women will give birth, in some cases, more than 100 km away; any emergency or in-patient treatment for children and youngsters up to the age of 18 will have to be carried out in Faro. What’s more, Faro’s pediatric service doesn’t have the capacity to respond to the needs of the whole region (…) We appeal to the Minister of Health and the CEO of the SNS to halt this decision, which is deeply damaging to the region’s welfare provision”, the statement concludes.
Quite apart from the upset the development – coming on International Day of the Child – causes those immediately caught up in it, it will be ricocheting now on pregnant women all over the western Algarve who have suddenly seen the only feasible hospital for having a baby close its doors to them. Parents of very young children, too – if they live west of Portimão – will be realising that in an emergency, there is no State health care provision to be relied on.
