The Algarve Regional Health Administration rejected criticism from union structures that pointed to a lack of investment in health. Nurses, medical assistants, administrative technicians, diagnostics and superiors served 24 hours of strike this Friday, due to the lack of human and material resources in health units in the region.
The public institute defended itself, in a press release, from criticism "about an alleged lack of investment", listing a set of "public resources that the Ministry of Health has been channeling to strengthen the provision of primary and hospital health care in the Region".
«The Ministry of Health, in articulation with the Regional Health Administration of Algarve IP, has implemented a strategy to increase the response capacity of primary and hospital care and expand the network of integrated continuous care, either through investments in new units and works to improve existing facilities and equipment, or in the opening of tenders for hiring health professionals», guaranteed ARSA.
This last point is the one that causes the most discord. Despite repeated announcements by the ARS and the Government that vacancies were opened for health professionals in the region, the vast majority went to doctors. But, as both the minister of health and the president of ARSA admit, many of the places reserved for clinicians will remain unfilled.
The opposite situation happens with nurses, for whom 45 places have recently opened. The problem pointed out by the unions, in this case, is that these vacancies are not even enough to make up for the recent departures of nurses. In addition, there are deep shortages in other careers, they claim, such as those of assistants and technicians from different areas, which are not even mentioned by those responsible for health in the region.
From the Algarve ARS comes the information that, in 2014, «22 doctors and 45 nurses were hired for the CHA». «There are currently more than a hundred vacancies open for the Algarve Region: around 90 for specialists in General and Family Medicine and 46 for specialists in the hospital area, among other professional careers. It was also recently authorized for the Algarve to open 105 vacancies for doctors of various specialties in the hospital area. The respective tender procedures will be opened shortly and disclosed in due course», according to the entity.
In addition to the investments already mentioned, ARSA defends that the «organizational changes carried out in the hospital network of the Algarve Region» allowed «to reduce operating costs and ensure the financial sustainability of the Hospital Center of the Algarve».
The «additional convergence funds, for financial rebalancing and settlement of debts to suppliers, of hospital units in the Algarve region in the amount of 74 million euros» channeled between 2011 and 2013 to the CHA, the conversion of 74 million euros of debt into reinforcement of the hospital center's statutory capital, "including interest forgiveness of 5,3 million euros".
Investments that, for professionals, are not contributing to the improvement of the National Health Service, on the contrary. Unions and opposition political forces argue that public health services have reached the lowest level of responsiveness "since the NHS was created" and argue that there is a policy of disinvestment in health by the government, which aims to benefit the private sector.
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