Some 190 health centers in the country will be open extra hours this Monday to ensure they can respond to non-emergency situations and reduce the pressure on hospitals in case of emergencies.
This Christmas, 187 health centers will be open to provide primary care for “non-emergency situations” such as mild to moderate respiratory symptoms, the Department of Health said.
The measure is part of the Winter 2023-2024 Seasonal Health Response Strategic Plan, which aims to “reduce pressure on hospitals in the event of emergency care.”
The plan is being implemented by health center and regional health authority teams in collaboration with NHS executive management.
The plan began on Saturday with the opening of 234 medical centers, continued on Sunday with 191 operational units and until this Monday, the Christmas holiday, with 187 operating room beds.
According to the Department of Health, the plan aims to “promote public awareness of emergency care alternatives for non-acute medical emergencies, with the goal of reducing the burden on these services through care that can be provided elsewhere.” in social networks”.
In this context, the public should contact the SNS 24 line (808 24 24 24) in non-emergency situations such as mild to moderate respiratory symptoms, before going to the emergency department, for advice and possible referral to the nearest health facility. In case of an emergency, citizens should call 112.
In 2023, SNS 24 answered approximately 1.8 million calls, with November recording the highest number of answered calls with over 186 thousand, followed by October with over 173 thousand calls.
The Department of Health stressed that “appropriate use of health services allows for a more timely response to patients, which is critical to the better functioning of the NHS network”, recognizing the commitment of health workers, especially at this Christmas time of year.
About half of emergency departments will be fully operational in the last week of the year, with a “general normalization” of services expected from January, SNS executives said.
“During the last week of 2023, 45 units will be fully operational (54%),” according to the SNS emergency services network reorganization plan for the period from December 24 to 30.
The executive management, led by Fernando Araujo, also noted that SNS emergency services are distributed in 83 locations throughout the country and, despite the recorded limitations, have demonstrated “the ability to interact and support, guaranteeing safety and quality in the provision of health care.” systematically, in an organized manner and ensuring the necessary predictability.”
The plan acknowledges that the Christmas period is “traditionally characterized by additional restrictions” in emergency situations due to shortages of specialists, this year also due to the refusal to work more than 150 annual overtime hours required by law, but “particularly due to a lack of commitment and responsibility on the part of service providers.”
“With the beginning of next year and the resumption of the availability of specialists to perform additional work, a general normalization of the functioning of emergency services is expected,” the executive leadership of the SNS said.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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