Filipe Amorim / Lusa
The Minister of Health, Ana Paula Martins
The Minister of Health, Ana Paula Martins, wants to transfer obstetricians “forcibly” to solve the problem of urgencies in Almada. This solution had already been applied in the time of the socialist government – and it didn’t go well.
The hospital’s obstetrics team barreiro will be mobilized, by order, to Almadain order to guarantee the scales in the urgency of Hospital Garcia de Orta.
According to the, which cites source from the Minister of Health’s Office, the forced transfer It should soon occur that the government advances with the concentration of obstetrics on the southern bank in Almada, as announced this week in Parliament.
At the time, ANA PAULA MARTINS He said that for the concentration of urgency at Garcia de Orta Hospital in Almada, with the support of the Setúbal Hospital (receiving cases sent by INEM and SNS 24), there would be seven complete teams to Garcia de Orta Hospital and three service provision.
However, the unions, heard by the Express, argue that this will only be possible in a regime of volunteering or in relation to doctors in full dedicationwhich are required to ensure urgencies that have up to 30 kilometers from the hospital to which they belong.
As the advisers of Minister Ana Paula Martins, to the weekly, “ order only depends on the minister’s signature and does not require negotiation. It is already with the jurists. ”
Solution that ran badly in the past
This way of transferring teams has already occurred in the summer of 2023, at the Santa Maria Hospital, when the maternity closure for works and construction of the new unit. At the time, Ana Paula Martins was in the administration of Santa Maria.
The forced change of professionals – to the São Francisco Xavier Hospital – was justified with the superior protection of public health, but the situation did not go well and, at the time, Seven Obstetricians rescinded with the National Health Service.
The junction of professionals in the urgency of St. Francis Xavier lasted about a month.
Speaking to Expresso, the former Minister of Health, Manuel Pizarrodrew attention to the differences towards concentration on the south bank: “It was not easy and some doctors never came out of Santa Maria. But there was a reason for force maternity for construction maternity, and so urgency. [estava impedida] to continue to ensure care. And had a temporary character. ”
But earlier, in May 2023, the previous government was able to share urgent scales in obstetrics with elements of the hospitals of Caldas and Leiria, but in this case dismissed any order because the change occurred voluntarily.
“It will lead to more terminations in the NHS”
The unions warn beforehand that, except for doctors in full dedication, It will not be possible to oblige teams to change their workplace Against your will because “collective agreements protect doctors from traveling from their workplace,” said FNAM president, Joana Bordalo and Sá.
The union leader explains that the concentration of care “was possible between Santa Maria and São Francisco Xavier because they are in the same county”.
Speaking to Antena 1, Joana Bordalo and Sá stressed that this the solution will not be realized “and will lead to more terminations in the NHS“.
Moreover, “the big question is that this does not solve the problem of the population.” “They are admitting that Barreiro’s urgency will be closed permanently; And therefore, they will deprive the pregnant women of that proximity care population and this is absolutely unacceptable. ”
FNAM points out that the only way to solve these problems on the south margin is reinforce both hospitals and not take it in one to put. “But the government of Luís Montenegro prefers to continue to divest and to chase the NHS doctors. Everyone gets lost, especially the population“.
The secretary general of the Independent Doctors Union, Nuno Rodrigueshas no doubt that the “mobilization of doctors It will have to be in voluntary regime”.
He says the union supports the idea of a metropolitan urgency, but with four guarantees: “voluntary adherence, the existence of complete teams and remuneration and non -remuneration incentives, because if doctors will work more to rest more.”
