Health emergency plan promised by the Government with urgent measures to be fulfilled

Eight urgent and priority measures of the Health Emergency and Transformation Plan remain to be fulfilled, two of which should have been completed more than a year ago. Experts say that some deadlines should be revised.

Speaking to Lusa, the coordinator of the working group responsible for monitoring the implementation of the Health Emergency and Transformation Plan (PETS) considers that “There was optimism and ambition is welcome, but perhaps it was too high”.

Carlos Robalo argues that there are measures that should have their deadlines revised, such as, for example, the separation of the specialties of Gynecology and Obstetrics: “It will be impossible”.

The same happens with the deinstitutionalization of chronic mental health situations, a measure that was classified as urgent and, therefore, should have been completed by the end of August 2024: “It must be rethought. In fact, it should become ‘structuring’ [médio/longo prazo] and, if it could be achieved by the end of the legislature, it would be good”, considers Carlos Robalo.

Plan divided into 5 axes

Priorities: Response to Time and Hours, Safe Babies and Mothers, Urgent and Emergent Care, Close and Family Health and Mental Health.

According to the site of monitoring the plan, two have not yet been completed, which should have results by end of August last year: the requalification of emergency service spaces – general/psychiatric emergency and the deinstitutionalization of chronic mental health situations.

Six other measures considered priorities (out of a total of 26) are also “ongoing”: new clinical priority for cancer patients, creation of model C Family Health Units (USF C), reinforcement of the public response in partnership with the private sector (Doctors’ Associations and Cooperatives), encouragement of adherence to the voluntary additional user portfolio scheme, structured intervention programs for anxiety and depression in Primary Health Care and the creation of regional mental health services for the hospitalization of highly complex patients.

The working group coordinator highlights the increased response capacity in the SNS and the effects of the creation of Clinical Care Centers (to divert people from emergencies), remembering that the operation of these centers reduced waiting times in emergency services by 20%.

However, it says essential to “make contracts more flexible” to attract and retain healthcare professionals: “Closed contracts do not serve the new generations, who greatly value, and increasingly, greater coordination between professional, personal, family and social life”.

He also highlights the need for programs that help increase the population’s literacy and faster communication with citizens: “People must always know where to turn and when”.

“Prior contact [com o serviços] This is what is done in the most developed countries”, he adds.