Rui André, Mayor of Monchique, today, in a statement, expressed his Manifest his «frontal opposition to the possible reduction in care responses at the Hospital de Portimão, formerly Hospital do Barlavento Algarvio, and to its almost total centralization, in terms of urgency respects, at the Hospital of Faro».
The newspaper “Correio da Manhã” revealed yesterday that the Hospital de Portimão “will lose most of its medical-surgical specialties and runs the risk of becoming a kind of health center”.
Because, explained the CM, «the revolution of the Emergency Department, conceived by the administration of the Hospital Center of the Algarve, where the Portimão unit is located, will force all seriously ill patients to be transported to the Hospital de Faro».
The newspaper even quoted a hospital source, who confided that “all medical-surgical specialties will disappear. Only the services of Pediatrics, General Surgery, Internal Medicine, Maternity and Orthopedics remain, but only for cases that do not require surgery». The unit, according to the same source, will also lose daily care of Psychiatry, Gastro, ENT and Ophthalmology.
In light of this news, the mayor elected by the PSD, who is re-candidate for the September 29 elections, also undertakes to “stand by the Monchiquenses and the Algarvians against any measures that jeopardize their right to health ».
Rui André also regrets that «the changes in progress are made without any consultation with the mayors of the region, and even contrary to what their positions have been over the years».
This is because, he stresses, “no one knows better the needs of populations than those who come into contact with them on a daily basis. Obviously, the difficult economic and financial situation that the country is going through is recognized, but the savings measures underlying this “revolution” in the Algarve's health cannot contribute to further aggravate the social crisis, abandonment and desertification that affect the areas. neediest in the Algarve, in particular its older population».
For these reasons, the Mayor of Monchique also announces that he will “require, as a matter of urgency, meetings with the Presidents of the ARS and of the Board of Directors of the Centro Hospitalar do Algarve, with a view to obtaining clarifications and information enabling them to know , in detail, all the changes in progress', thus reserving 'the taking of other measures for a time after these meetings'.
Yesterday, also the PS candidate for the Portimão Chamber announced its opposition to the loss of services by the Hospital. In the presentation of her electoral program, at night, Isilda Gomes even announced that she is going to file an injunction to try to stop this process.
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