Nurses highlight new SNS chief executive’s experience and decision-making ability

The President of the Order of Nurses (OE) spoke about the experience of emergency medical care, António Gandra d’Almeida, appointed this Wednesday as chief executive of the SNS, and the Portuguese Union of Nurses (SEP) hopes that he will become a partner in the search for solutions.

“It seems to me that he could have the appropriate profile, given that he is a field operative accustomed to the organization,” Luis Filipe Barreira told Lusa.

According to OE President, António Gandra d’Almeida has “experience in emergency medical care and can count on the Order as a partner,” reaffirming the institution’s commitment to “reform, improve and move forward in solving existing problems.” decades” in the National Health Service (SNS).

“Regardless of the individual, what is important is that they are able to implement the health strategy, implement the health policies that are needed for reforms to ensure greater access to health care, and, most importantly, in a timely manner. for the people,” he said.

The OE President also stated that he believes that the Ministry of Health “plays a fundamental role in defining health policy” and that DE-SNS “can implement the same health policy.”

The AKP also confirmed the importance of “greater decision-making capacity” to implement measures in favor of a more flexible functioning of the SNS, given that “this was also what was missing in the previous DE-SNS” led by Fernando Araujo.

“We hope that he will become a partner in finding solutions that will improve the functioning of social networks, deepen them and guarantee better access of people to social networks, which is currently lacking in addition to improving equipment and accepting human resources, which is another serious problem,” said union leader Guadalupe Simões.

The AKP chief also said the new chief executive was looking at the SNA “as a whole”, calling for greater health promotion and disease prevention to reduce the flow of people into hospitals, especially emergency departments.

“We hope that the new DE will start with its basics: ensuring people have access to primary health care, promoting family health groups, and then creating and providing recommendations to improve the functioning of other structures,” he concluded.

The Ministry of Health announced today that it has selected Dr. Antonio Gandra d’Almeida, 44, to replace Fernando Araujo as SNS chief executive, adding that the lieutenant colonel has extensive experience in emergency medical care.

The ministry statement indicated that the new person in charge was the director of the northern regional delegation of the National Institute of Emergency Medicine (INEM), head of the health team carrying out hospital and pre-hospital care and that in the Armed Forces he had accumulated leadership and coordination.

António Gandra d’Almeida has academic and professional specializations, including a degree from the Faculty of Health Sciences of the New University of Lisbon and additional training from the Military Academy, a postgraduate degree in military health, a master’s degree in disaster medicine and a specialty in general surgery, as well as competence in areas of Health Services Management, Emergency Medicine and Military Medicine of the Medical Association.

According to the information, the new executive director was in charge of Vias Verdes in the INEM central region from 2014 to 2019, and was responsible for the installation and coordination of the Barreiro Ambulance and Medical Resuscitation (VMER) between 2016 and 2018. issued by the ministry.

He also served on several committees of the Army General Staff, the Armed Forces General Staff and the Ministry of Health.