The second surgical unit of the new maternity ward of the Santa Maria Local Health Unit (ULS) in Lisbon will reopen on Monday, 15 days after the first began operating, once again providing caesarean sections and induced labour.
On August 19, the opening of the first surgical block took place at the Luis Mendes da Graça Maternity Hospital.
With the introduction of the new surgical units, ULS Santa Maria is once again performing caesarean sections and inductions of labour, which, during the work in the new maternity hospital, which began about a year ago, had to be carried out in other institutions of the National Health Service (SNS) of the Lisbon region.
On August 5, the new maternity ward opened an emergency gynecological care unit, providing services to pregnant women up to 22 weeks, a service that had been provided at the facility throughout the year the work was carried out.
According to ULS Santa Maria, in the first week of operation of the new facilities, the emergency service served about 260 users, averaging 40 cases per day.
Last month, the obstetrics and gynecology ultrasound diagnostics department was put into operation, with a total of six rooms, which is one more than in the previous department.
In an interview with Lusa at the end of July, ULS Santa Maria President Carlos Martins confirmed the full operation of the two maternity units as of September 1.
Carlos Martins said the new maternity hospital should be ready to handle 3,000 births a year from 2025, with plans to hire 120 professionals between now and next year.
A global investment of six million euros has made it possible to renovate the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Emergency Department and build 12 wards, two operating rooms and an examination room in a new maternity ward, covering a total area of approximately 1,000 square metres of new construction.
“From an objective point of view, we have invested six million euros in works, equipment and furniture. We have programmed in our action plan, in terms of human capital, investments of four million euros per year. And we cannot forget that we have been in a dead end for a year now, and there has been no income – an average of 2.5 million euros per month – which is 30 million euros. So 36 million euros plus four is 40 million euros of socio-economic investment than the National Health Service. And the taxpayers have done it,” the president of the institution explained.
JML(HN)//JMR
Lusa/end
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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