This Friday, the Order of Doctors defended the financial support of the central government for the reconstruction of the Ponta Delgada hospital, damaged by fire, promising to refer the matter to the Minister of Health and the President of the Republic.
“Obviously, the regional government has a very important role, but I want to call on the central government for solidarity in various aspects, from human resources, technical support to the absolutely necessary budgetary support,” said the president of the Order of Doctors (OM), in Ponta Delgada.
Carlos Cortes spoke after meeting with the President of the Government of the Azores (PSD/CDS-PP/PPM) José Manuel Bolheiro at the end of a two-day trip to the island of São Miguel following the fire that broke out on the island of São Miguel. Saturday at the largest hospital in the Azores, which forced its evacuation.
After an initial phase of immediate response to user requests, he said, we have entered “another important moment” for healthcare, which involves “preparing a solution that allows patients to continue to receive quality healthcare.”
Carlos Cortés said that his visit allowed him to understand that “everything is well organized” and expressed his readiness to cooperate with regional organizations with technical and institutional support from the OM at the invitation of the President of the Government.
“We cannot forget that this is a crisis, a difficult situation that requires absolutely exceptional measures that will certainly compromise the regional government of the Azores, but which must also compromise the central government,” he warned.
The President also acknowledged that it will take “difficult efforts” to restore and improve the Ponta Delgada hospital in order to be able to “again reach the capacity of the Azores in a hospital with very important end characteristics.”
“We will do everything possible to overcome this situation. I will also convey this message to the Minister of Health and the President of the Republic,” the head of the NM assured.
After the hearing, José Manuel Bolheiro praised the attitude of the President, who showed that he is “ready to help” in this process of planning the future of the hospital, which “will undergo restoration work”, as well as in the subsequent phase its expansion and modernization.
“All this involves unforeseen expenses,” emphasized the head of the Azores executive power, which requires a contribution from the country and the European Union itself in an amount “sufficient in relation to the severity” resulting from the fire.
José Manuel Boleiro also believes that the concentration of teams of health workers, currently distributed across several units, is a challenge and a priority in order to “require less effort” in this new phase.
Regarding the installation of a field hospital of the Armed Forces in Ponta Delgada, the President of the Government said that this is “not excluded”.
“We’re not going to rush into developing resources without first identifying the sequence and the most appropriate resources where the surgical component is particularly sensitive,” he said.
The President of Doctors also visited today the Red Cross medical post, which has already been installed at a school in Ponta Delgada and consists of 12 tents that provide a full-fledged infirmary.
According to the Red Cross, the first stage plans to house 30 patients and four more in isolation.
The delivery of ten more tents from the continent, which after this operation will remain in the region on a permanent basis, will double the number of patients to 60.
The fire at the Ponta Delgada hospital, which broke out on Saturday at 9:40 local time (in Lisbon at 10:40) and was declared extinguished only at 16:11, forced the transfer of 240 patients hospitalized in various institutions. places in the Azores, Madeira and on the continent.
The government of the Azores declared a state of public disaster on Sunday in order to “accelerate procedures” that will allow the activities of the largest Azorean medical institution to be normalized in a “short period of time,” a resolution that was published today in the Official Journal. .
Clinical leaders announced on Wednesday that the hospital would gradually reopen, with the oncology and dialysis departments expected to reopen in stages next week.
A report on the damage from the fire has not yet been released.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
I’m Sandra Hansen, a news website Author and Reporter for 24 News Reporters. I have over 7 years of experience in the journalism field, with an extensive background in politics and political science. My passion is to tell stories that are important to people around the globe and to engage readers with compelling content.