The National Federation of Doctors (Fnam) today warned of the risks of regional obstetric emergencies, claiming that this new model will force pregnant women to travel “long distances” to be treated in a hospital.
In a statement, the federation of doctors’ unions highlighted that the model for future regional emergencies, approved this week by the Council of Ministers, “it does not serve doctors or the population”as it will force “pregnant women and babies to travel long distances, with the real danger of births in ambulances”.
On Wednesday, the Government approved the legal regime that creates regional emergencies, anticipating that the first one could come into operation at the beginning of the year in the Setúbal Peninsula, where there have been more temporary closures of services, due to the lack of doctors specialists to complete the obstetrics and gynecology rosters. In practice, it is expected that two or more local health units (ULS) in a given region can come together to concentrate the emergency service in a single hospital.
A Minister of Health, Ana Paula Martinsalready announced a cconcentration of obstetric emergencies in the three hospitals on Margem Sul – Garcia de Orta, Setúbal and Barreiro – to take place from next year.
Health professionals who are part of the regional emergency teams — doctors, nurses and auxiliary health technicians — will maintain their employment relationship with their ULS, but missions to another hospital are planned.
According to Fnam, the Minister of Health “missed the truth to the deputies in the Assembly of the Republic, when stating that she would not proceed with measures of forced mobility of doctors”, also highlighting that Ana Paula Martins “lost the trust of doctors and the country”.
“Se [o primeiro-ministro] Luís Montenegro keeps this minister in office, he will be complicit in this lack of truth and disrespect for health professionals”, warned the union structure.
On a day of public service strike to which Fnam joined, the federation considered that the doctors’ strike was “a fight for the dignity and future of the National Health Service”, registering a adherence of around 80%, with a special impact on operating rooms, where only emergency services operated.
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