The Municipal Assembly of Viseu demands the full reopening of the pediatric emergency department

This Monday, the Municipal Assembly of Viseu approved two proposals that require the full reopening of the pediatric emergency department of the local health unit (ULS) of Viseu-Dau-Lafoyne, which has been closed overnight since the beginning of the month.

The first proposal, submitted by the municipal group of the SDP and approved with nine abstentions, requires the government to “fully reopen” the pediatric emergency department and asks the health minister to “replace the resigning board of directors as soon as possible.” .

Municipal deputies from the Bloc de Esquerda (BE) presented a second proposal, which was approved with one abstention and demands not only the reopening of the pediatric emergency department at night, but also “a national health service present throughout the territory, without ignoring the interior countries”.

The two proposals differ mainly in content: the PSD criticizes the Centro Hospitalar Tondela Viseu, now integrated into the ULS Viseu Dão Lafões, for “losing prestige and credibility in society due to poor management options and a lack of public policies.” institutions capable of responding to the challenges and aspirations of the institution and the community.”

Social Democratic lawmaker Pedro Alves pointed to examples such as the delay in expanding emergency services and the unfinished construction of an outpatient center and radiotherapy unit, but said that “even more worrying is the flight of health workers to other public institutions.” without the board of directors finding a strategy to create them in Viseu.”

According to the SDP, the board “failed to find solutions to reverse its decision, worsening access to health care for children by closing care every night in June.”

“This failure led to the direct intervention of the Minister of Health, who demanded the immediate submission of a plan to mitigate this problem, which, although it was presented and approved, the board of directors was unable to implement,” Pedro said. Alves, emphasizing that “dismissal was a possible solution.”

The Social Democrat recalled that this plan must be implemented today and that the resignation of the board of directors on Thursday was not a coincidence, but rather “a clear manifestation of incompetence and failure to implement the plan, because if they did not do it in accordance with what was agreed upon, the result will be dismissal.”

“What we saw in the meeting (between the board of directors and members of the Municipal Assembly) was always an attempt to find difficulties in doing anything,” he said, believing that “it depends on who manages to find solutions, and not just do diagnostics”

Socialist MP Lucia Araujo Silva said that at the meeting, which she also attended, data were mentioned regarding the specialty of Pediatrics, the number of vacancies and the fact that many doctors are attracted to the conditions offered in private hospitals.

“The hospital responds to urgent and emerging cases. They also informed [na reunião] that 75% of cases that end up in the emergency department are not referred,” the lawmaker said, asking for a message of trust and for parents to be informed that before taking their children to the emergency room, “there are other mechanisms they can use.” . you can use” .

This morning the board of directors announced the launch of a “model of care to provide a better response to children with acute illness, i.e. in urgent/emergency situations.”

“The goal is to strengthen response capabilities in a network working side by side, including primary health care (8am to 11pm) and basic emergency services (11pm to 8am): 00), ensuring that at night the Viseu pediatric emergency department can respond to emerging cases (INEM), providing fundamental support to hospitalized children and the maternity ward,” he explained.