Portimão’s paediatric and obstetrics A&E departments are closed this month
A protest has been called for Friday (August 30) at 11am in front of Portimão Hospital over the closure of its maternity ward and paediatric and obstetrics A&E departments.
The closures have left expectant mothers and parents in the region facing significant challenges, sparking protests and demands for immediate government action.
The protest has been called by the patients’ committee of the National Health Service (SNS), which has expressed its outrage over the situation.
“We demand immediate action from the government to put an end to this situation,” the committee says in a statement.
As it explains, the current state of affairs means that pregnant women from the Barlavento (western Algarve) region now have to travel to Faro, 70 to 120 kilometres away, to give birth. The closure of the A&E departments and maternity ward has already led to distressing incidents, such as a baby being born in an ambulance on the A22 motorway on August 19.
“Babies are being born in ambulances without proper facilities,” the committee says, asking: “What will happen if there are complications with the baby or the mother?”
Adding to the concerns, the inter-hospital paediatric transport ambulance is currently out of service due to a lack of medical staff, further compounding the risk to young patients. The situation has left general practitioners in Portimão’s emergency department to handle paediatric cases, raising fears that they may not be adequately equipped to manage more severe situations.
“This is a crisis that cannot be ignored,” the committee states, stressing that a single hospital in Faro cannot adequately serve the entire region.
The committee is thus calling on everyone who disagrees with the current situation to participate in the protest.
