The maternity ward and emergency obstetrics and gynecology department at Guarda Hospital will be closed from 9 a.m. Saturday to 9 a.m. Sunday due to a shortage of doctors on shifts, a source at the medical unit confirmed.
According to the services, there will be an “emergency level 4”, the one that is activated in the event of a lack of specialists and which provides for the closure of this service, a source at the local health department Guarda said.
The inability of doctors to work overtime due to reaching the annual limit is also causing severe restrictions in the field of general emergency care, and this situation will continue until 08:00 on Monday.
In a note sent to Lusa, Guarda’s local medical unit (ULS) warns that Guarda’s medical-surgical emergency service “will be open 24 hours” but there will be restrictions due to a shortage of internal medicine specialists.
“Due to the confusion caused by the unavailability of internal medicine doctors, work will be limited from 5:00 am on Thursday, October 5, until 8:00 am on Monday, October 9,” the statement said.
ULS da Guarda encourages the population to “be more understanding and use, whenever possible, the services provided by the health centers in their area of residence.”
ULS reiterated its call that “only those in urgent need of treatment” should go to the emergency department.
These difficulties stem from a national movement in which doctors have expressed their reluctance to work overtime.
The lack of access has created difficulties in emergency care scheduling in several hospitals across the country.
Guarda Hospital Emergency Services Director Adelaide Campos confirmed to Lusa that the schedules for October are incomplete.
“There will be days when teams will not be able to form, because there are not enough specialists in each of the teams, and therefore the emergency department may have to be closed,” the director of the Ministry of Emergency Situations warned.
Adelaide Campos expressed hope that “the Minister of Health and CEO of SNS [Serviço Nacional de Saúde] understand what may happen in the coming weeks.”
The official emphasizes that the overtime limit has long been reached and “this situation cannot continue.”
“We cannot have a region of 160,000 people without a hospital that receives emergency patients. This is not viable, it is impossible,” he warned.
City Council President Sergio Costa called on all participants to have a “sense of responsibility” and asked doctors and the Ministry of Health to “conclude a truce and dialogue” for the sake of the health of citizens.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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