On Tuesday, the health minister declined to reveal the new proposal he will present to medical unions at a meeting scheduled for Thursday, stressing that it takes two sides to reach an agreement and that he will try to reach his own.
“I can guarantee that the government remains committed to a frank and sympathetic dialogue with doctors and other health professionals. (…) From the very beginning, for there to be an agreement, two parties are necessary, and therefore I will try to contribute,” said Manuel Pizarro, adding: “We should all be able to dialogue in a spirit of openness.”
On the sidelines of a visit to the Santa Maria Hospital in Lisbon, Manuel Pizarro refused to foresee the proposals he would bring to Thursday’s round of negotiations, arguing that “I am not going to foresee (…) the round of negotiations is a serious conversation between the two sides, equally committed to the progress of the NHS.”
“Negotiations involve both sides changing their positions. Naturally, this round of negotiations begins with another government proposal, and I hope that the other side has the same ability to achieve this understanding,” he emphasized. .
The government official spoke after visiting work on the new maternity ward of the Santa Maria Hospital, which will be named after Luis Mendes da Graça, former director of the Service of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine at the Centro Hospitalar Lisboa Norte. which is due to be completed in April 2024.
A global investment of six million euros will refurbish the emergency obstetrics and gynecology department and build a new maternity ward with 12 wards, two operating theaters and an examination room, totaling approximately 1,000 square meters of new space.
It is also planned to reconstruct and expand the hospitalization of postpartum women, on the 5th floor of the Santa Maria Hospital, reconstruction of the room for obstetric ultrasound, which will operate in the area of the existing maternity unit, located on the street. 6th floor and expansion of neonatology service.
Before the maternity ward began operating, Pizarro visited our mental health service, which has 43 inpatient beds already occupied since July, as a result of an investment of €850,000 as part of the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR).
Manuel Pizarro was also asked about problems with emergency work schedules and the excuses doctors give for refusing to work overtime beyond the 150 hours required by law.
On this occasion, the minister said that the emergency situation was “concerning”, but stressed that the government “was able to take emergency measures that allow us to guarantee a response to the Portuguese”, admitting that in some cases, “Unfortunately, this response is a little further”.
“In some cases, [é] a response that maintains the same level of readiness and intimacy. In other cases, unfortunately, [é] the answer is a little more distant, but it exists because the National Health Service is a network (…) with hospitals, health centers, emergency services and a network of pre-hospital emergency care to make people feel safe,” he said.
Regarding the possibility that doctors’ excuses would complicate scheduling to the point that it would lead to the collapse of emergency services, Pizarro replied: “I think we are a long way from that situation of collapse.”
“I am not downplaying or ignoring the challenges and constraints we face, but we are working very actively in negotiations with medical unions, and in each hospital we are reorganizing services and ensuring that the network can accommodate some of the constraints. we have,” he added.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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