Minister says rotation of emergency services already exists in some areas and could be a solution

The Health Minister said this Monday that rotating hospital emergency services have long been introduced in some areas of the country and admitted that this could be the answer to providing medical care.

“As part of emergencies in Porto, there is already a rotation in hospitals. (…) This has been going on for more than ten years without creating any problems for people,” Manuel said, for example. Pizarro in statements to journalists after celebrating the 50th anniversary of the pharmaceutical company Roche in Portugal.

Asked about the possibility of referring patients to other hospitals, as happens in the case of emergency obstetric care when services are closed, the Minister of Health emphasized that this form of organization is not new, but could become widespread.

“Maybe experiences like this will be translated into structural things in the future to ensure people respond well without overburdening professionals,” he said.

However, this decision has already been criticized by the Doctors in Struggle movement, which considered it “completely unthinkable”, emphasizing that compared to emergency obstetric services, “the type of disease is completely different.”

On the other hand, the Health Secretary emphasized that “it is the (National Health Service) Executive Directorate that exercises operational command” and, while acknowledging that the circumstances are complex, he also said that there are very different contexts.

“There are circumstances in which geographic proximity allows us to find an easy alternative almost right next door, and in other cases the response must be more cautious and include pre-hospital emergency care structures,” he explained.

On Saturday, the National Health Service Executive Directorate met with hospitals from the continent’s five regions and INEM, managing to find “coherent solutions” to ensure equality in access to services.

According to the executive management, coordination between different departments of the hospital, interaction with the Center for Emergency Patient Care (CODU)/National Institute of Emergency Medicine (INEM) and SNS 24, and comprehensive coordination of executive management decisions were some of the dimensions agreed upon.

Journalists also questioned the Minister of Health about the publication of the charter of the Executive Directorate, which he soon sent, except that “it is in full force and its legitimacy exists, from a legal point of view, in an undoubted manner.”

Regarding negotiations with unions representing doctors, which will resume on Thursday, Manuel Pizarro declined to say what the Health Ministry will present but said he has positive expectations.

“I always continue to expect that a platform of understanding can be found,” he said, but stressed that just as the government asks how far it is willing to go, the unions should also ask that question.

The minister also said that the solution found should simultaneously serve the Portuguese, the National Health Service and doctors.