The mayors of the municipalities covered by the Vila Franca de Xira Hospital delivered, on Thursday, a petition asking for the maintenance of the obstetric emergency, in an attempt to reverse the closure of the service already decided by the Government. The document has 12,000 signatures, which requires debate in Parliament.
Collected from surprise for the the presidents of the Municipal Chambers covered formed a battle front.
The petition that will now be discussed in Parliament is yet another attempt to reverse a process. The Vila Franca de Xira maternity hospital continues to work, but, since March 16, the obstetrics emergency room has been closed.
In addition to Vila Franca de Xira, which belongs to the suburban area of Lisbon, other municipalities are affected, such as Benavente, Arruda dos Vinhos, Azambuja and Alenquer.
In case of emergency, pregnant women now go to the Hospital de Loures, which serves also the municipalities of Odivelas, Sobral de Monte Agraço and several parishes of Mafra and Loures. The distance between one hospital and another can be more than 50 kilometers.
Dozens of ambulance deliveries in 2025
In 2025, there were 60 births in ambulances or on public roads, a number that doubled compared to the previous year. Doctors and obstetric nurses speak of a greater risk for pregnant women and newborns, but the minister of health manages to look at this reality differently.
The majority of births outside hospitals have occurred in the Greater Lisbon region, the area where the restructuring of gynecology and obstetrics emergencies first advanced.
Unable to resolve the problem of the lack of doctors on the rosters, the Government opted to close services.
The decision affected municipalities on the North Bank and South Bank of the Tagus. The next obstetrics emergency room to close is at Barreiro Hospital, on April 15th.
