SIC Notícias has been conducting interviews with government figures who appear to be shielding ministers under fire. Thus, after the fairly extraordinary interview with the secretary of state for civil protection (who seemed to think that the coordination of firefighting has gone ‘quite well’ this year), it has brought an even more curious discussion with Álvaro Almeida, executive director of the SNS.
The principal ‘surprise’ was that Mr Almeida cannot see any link between the high number of births in ambulances this year (plus the one birth on a pavement in Carregedo) and the closure of maternity units. Yet, stories about these less the ideal births (in terms of their location), have invariably cited the closure of a maternity unit as one of the reasons for the baby arriving so unusually…
The mother of the little girl born on the pavement, for example, had wanted to have a baby in Maternidade Alfredo Costa, and been told that it was ‘full’ and that she would have to go elsewhere… in her own vehicle. Serena, the baby, had her own plans.
But back to Mr Almeida, who lives in a world where these births are features of happenstance, possibly even the mothers’ own lack of planning. SIC reports that he sees the functioning of maternity units as “stabilised”, albeit healthcare worker numbers are “not ideal”.
He also said that, in his opinion, ‘the area of health in Portugal is better than it was last year (when less babies were born in ambulances) and than it was two years ago (ditto)’.
“For 2026, he informs, the priority is to improve the functioning of the SNS in all its dimensions (and) guarantee all citizens the response that they need”, says SIC.
Álvaro Almeida then outlined a series of improvements envisaged (an increase, for example, in beds for those with severe burns…) and a network to ensure that if burns units are ‘full’, other hospitals will be able to take excess burns patients.
In his post for only the last six months, Mr Almeida seemed to think that the SNS health service was improving. “Obviously, we would like to have done more to resolve all the problems, but we have improved”, he told his interviewer.
The niggling feeling left from interviews like this is that government head honchos may be living on another planet. Complaints, for example, of service received in the SNS have increased by 90% this year, reports Expresso. What spin can the government put on that? Perhaps ‘citizens expect too much’?
Certainly, the speech last night from prime minister Luís Montenegro had ‘another world’ quality to it – particularly the part where he said people affected by the fires would be exempt from paying ‘taxas moderadoras’ (hospital attendance fees) if they visited A&E departments. As former health minister (PS) and current MEP Marta Temido has countered, ‘this happens anyway’. Taxas moderadoras were done away with by PS Socialists three years ago…
For a more comprehensive list of the measures outlined by the prime minister last night, see our text to come. ND
source material: SIC Notícias
