The ping-pong politics bristling between SIM, the (centre right) syndicate of doctors and CHUA, the left wing administration of Faro Hospital has seen new controversy today, with three clinical directors handing in their resignations purportedly because of pressures to sign patients out of hospital too quickly, in order to ‘free up beds’.
A statement issued by CHUA this morning totally refutes the allegation, saying “at no time whatsoever” during an internal meeting to debate the way forwards through the busy flu season have any doctors been asked to adopt “any measure that could compromise good clinical practices”.
SIM’s message however has been given widespread coverage, particularly by RTP in conversation with secretary general Roque da Cunha who explained that “for several years the team of doctors at Faro Hospital has stoically maintained an almost miraculous situation which is with many eggs to still make a reasonable omelette”.
It’s a description that loses a great deal in translation but which Roque da Cunha used to lament the more national “delay in the opening of placements for nearly 700 recently qualified hospital specialists” (click here).
By coincidence, health minister Adalberto Campos Ferreira announced the opening of placements hours later.
Meantime, CHUA stresses that the meeting where the three doctors handed in their resignations was designed to “find solutions” that would help cope with the winter influx of patients, and had hoped for “a constructive attitude” from all involved.
The management board says it is now “analysing” the letter in which the doctors tendered their resignations.
natasha.donn@algarveresident.com
