Montenegro to provide responses to Ram's queries in the near future.
In the heart of Portugal, concerns are mounting over the response to hospital emergencies, particularly in the critical specialties of pediatrics, orthopedics, and obstetrics. The Secretary-General of the Socialist Party (PS), José Luís Carneiro, has expressed his worry, citing instances of mothers losing their babies due to insufficient response.
At the centre of the debate is the question of whether the Government has an emergency plan for managing hospital emergencies in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area and the Vale do Tejo region, which includes the Setúbal Peninsula. While it is confirmed that such a plan exists, the challenges lie in its implementation, particularly in the aforementioned specialties.
The government acknowledges the challenges related to human resources in critical specialties like obstetrics and pediatrics. To address these, it plans to create regional emergency units composed of teams shared between hospitals, prioritizing these critical specialties to improve emergency response.
In addition to these measures, the government is working on a broader restructuring of hospital care. Initiatives include the launch of the National System for Access to Consultations and Surgeries (SINACC) to ensure timely access to diagnostics and surgeries, the reorganization of health service management through Local Health Systems participation, and the development of new public-private partnerships to improve health unit responsiveness and care quality.
However, despite these plans and ongoing efforts, high-profile cases highlight systemic weaknesses, such as a newborn's death and other emergency care failures in Lisbon hospitals. This suggests ongoing difficulties in fully implementing or optimizing emergency services, especially in critical specialties.
Amidst this turmoil, the Secretary-General of the PS has posed three questions to Prime Minister Luís Montenegro, demanding answers about hospital emergencies in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, particularly in the specialties of pediatrics, orthopedics, and obstetrics in the Setúbal Peninsula. He has also criticized the current state of affairs, stating it is unacceptable for the public response of the State to be uncertain in such a vital area.
Meanwhile, progress is being made in other areas. The municipality of Sintra will soon see a new hospital, scheduled for inauguration on July 14. The new hospital was fully financially supported by the Sintra Municipal Chamber, with an investment of over 60 million euros. The Secretary-General of the PS, José Luís Carneiro, expressed his gratitude to the Sintra Municipal Chamber for their support in the hospital project.
Despite the challenges, the government's commitment to improving hospital care in Portugal remains steadfast. The Prime Minister is expected to respond to the Secretary-General's questions about the Minister of Health and the lack of response in hospital emergencies, particularly in the specified areas, in the coming days.
[1] Government's Emergency Plan for Hospital Emergencies in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area and the Vale do Tejo region: https://www.gov.pt/noticias/planeamento-da-resposta-do-governo-para-emergencias-hospitalares-em-area-metropolitana-de-lisboa-e-vale-do-tejo [2] Portuguese Government's Plans for Hospital Care Restructuring: https://www.gov.pt/noticias/planeamento-da-reestruturacao-do-sistema-de-saude-em-portugal [3] High-profile Cases Highlight Challenges in Hospital Emergency Response: https://www.sns24.pt/noticias/casos-alto-perfil-apontam-para-desafios-na-resposta-a-emergencias-hospitalares
- What is the Government's Emergency Plan for managing hospital emergencies in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area and the Vale do Tejo region, given the current challenges in critical specialties like pediatrics, orthopedics, and obstetrics?
- In the face of ongoing difficulties in fully implementing or optimizing emergency services, particularly in these critical specialties, what steps is the government taking to address human resource challenges and improve emergency response, as part of its broader restructuring of hospital care?
- Amidst high-profile cases that indicate systemic weaknesses in the response to hospital emergencies, especially in the specified areas, what has been the Secretary-General of the Socialist Party's response, and what questions has he posed to the Prime Minister regarding this matter?
