The secretary general of the PKP said this Wednesday that he does not see the government’s desire to resolve the situation with doctors who refuse to work overtime, accusing the executive of “investing in the process of dismantling the SNS.”
Speaking to reporters at a fair in Vila Franca de Xira, Paulo Raimundo said the current health situation is the “sole responsibility of the government” due to “the wrong choices it has made.”
“It’s time to remember once again that if the Government had taken the measures we proposed two years ago, and not only that, we would have found ourselves in a completely different situation. The government must respect professionals, provide them with facilities and create conditions. prescribe doctors,” he defended himself.
When asked whether he sees in the government a desire to resolve the situation with the refusal of doctors to work overtime beyond those required by law, Paulo Raimundo replied that “honestly, no.”
“What is known about the government’s proposals is to increase doctors’ overtime by another 200 hours. Now, whoever proposes 350 hours of overtime – which in practice is four more months of work for doctors – is someone who has no desire to solve these problems,” – he emphasized.
The communist leader argued that there was no need for “more overtime” but rather “conditions for doctors, respect, career recognition and more doctors” because if there were more professionals “there would not be so much overtime needed to work, which I need to do.”
Regarding his visit to the Vila Franca de Xira fair, Paulo Raimundo said that it is “another way to connect with the population and confront reality,” stressing that the situation the country is currently experiencing is “very demanding and very difficult.”
In September, a group of specialists sent an open letter to the health minister with more than 1,000 signatures from doctors warning of their inability to work overtime.
Since then, 27 hospitals, hospital centers or local health facilities have been experiencing problems, according to a report by Doctors in Struggle spokeswoman Susana Costa Luse on Tuesday.
According to Susana Costa, difficulties arose in Almada, Amador, Aveiro, Barcelos, Barreiro, Braga, Bragança, Caldas da Rainha and Torres Vedras, Coimbra, Covilha, Famalicana, Gaia, Guarda, Leiria, Lisbon, Loures, Matosinhos, Penafiele, Portalegre, Porto, Povoa de Varzim, Santa Maria da Feira, Santarem, Viana do Castelo, Vila Real and Viseu.
The National Federation of Doctors (FNAM) announced on Wednesday that emergency services at hospitals in Barcelos, Caldas da Rainha, Chavez, Guarda, Santarem and Tomar were already facing closure due to the inability of doctors to work overtime in addition to mandatory hours.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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