The Order of Physicians defends the creation of a new social network with fundamental reform

This Monday in Caldas da Rainha, the President of the Order of Physicians defended the creation of a new National Health Service (NHS) that will oversee the evolution and modernization of society and invest in fundamental reform.

“We need a new National Health Service. The structure of the population has changed. We have a much older and more demanding population in terms of care. We have science, technology and medicine that have developed greatly in recent decades, but it seems that our rulers look at social networks the same way they did 40 years ago,” Carlos Cortes told Luse.

According to the president, the country needs “a fundamental reform of the civil service that integrates the needs of doctors as well as new organizational models,” Carlos Cortés said after meeting with doctors of different specialties at the Caldas da Rainha hospital, which is part of the Centro Hospitalar do Oeste ( CHO).

According to the president, medical intervention is limited to “small patches and plasters that solve absolutely nothing, although at the moment they seem to be a solution.”

“Look at the problem of maternity hospitals, which has been going on for over a year, the problem of emergency care, which is getting worse and worse, the problem of primary health care, where more and more users are left without a family doctor. there is a need for a deep restructuring of social networks and a rethinking of health in a modern way,” ceasing to “live on the glory of the past” of social networks.

“We must improve the present and prepare the future of the SNA. Today, the SNA represents a major national emergency. It is based on emergency services and that must change quickly,” he said.

Carlos Cortés believes that the solution does not involve the creation of more local health units (ULS), since the “worst hospitals”, those with “the greatest difficulties, are integrated into the ULS”, such as Beja, Portalegre, Santiago do Cacem. , Guarda, Castelo Branco, Bragança and Viana do Castelo.

“Matosinhos is an exception because it is an urban ULS where everything is in the city. We cannot compare Matosinhos’ results with the rest of the country,” he said.

Carlos Cortes met this Monday with doctors in Caldas da Rainha, where general health problems are also felt.

“Some specialties noted difficulties with personnel,” he said.

The doctors informed the President that most of the emergency work is done by providers, but most of the activity is concentrated in the emergency department, which does not allow doctors to concentrate on other activities, namely on the ward, in the ward. consultations or planned surgical procedures.

“If people don’t show up for appointments, are treated poorly in hospital or don’t have surgery at the right time, they end up with worsening health problems and have to go to the emergency room. There was some disorganization in the CHO. It also reflects that it operates very little as a hospital center,” he said.

CHO doctors also called for a new hospital to be built “once and for all”.

“The priority is not where it should be, but that there should be a hospital in the area and conditions to accommodate doctors. I found that doctors were angry and upset that they did not have the right facilities to treat their patients. No matter what, they do their job. the best they have, even with the very little the hospital center has had lately,” he said.

Carlos Cortes appealed to the Minister of Health to “quickly resolve the issue of the new hospital and create conditions for the settlement of doctors in the area.”

“These conditions are the same for the entire social network: better working conditions for doctors, a decent role for doctors and assessment of their career,” he emphasized, as a way to make “the social network more competitive, to be able to attract doctors and prevent them from leaving the system.” SNA for the private sector or for emigration.”

Centro Hospitalar do Oeste unites the hospitals of Caldas da Rainha, Peniche (both in the Leiria district) and Torres Vedras (in the Lisbon district).

Its area of ​​influence consists of the population of the municipalities of Caldas da Rainha, Obidos, Peniche, Bombarral (all in the district of Leiria), Torres Vedras, Cadaval and Lorignan (in the district of Lisbon). In the district of Leira it also covers part of the municipality of Alcobaça (parishes of Alfeiseran, Benedita and São Martinho do Porto), and in the district of Lisbon it covers the municipality of Mafra (excluding the parishes of Malveira, Milharado, Santo Estevan das Gales and Pinheiro Sale ).

In total it serves approximately 298,390 residents.