The participation in the strike of nurses in the Algarve is around 70%, according to data from the Portuguese Nurses' Union, a percentage that was much higher if only the Primary Health Care Units were considered.
The Algarve Regional Health Administration (ARS) does not disclose figures, but guarantees that the strike is not causing "relevant constraints".
In global terms, the variation between the night shift, which started yesterday at 00:00, and the morning shift, which is still ongoing, was only 1% from 70% to 71%.
According to Nuno Manjua, union leader at the regional level of the SEP, the rate of adhesion "is higher if hospital units in the Hospital Center of the Algarve are excluded", since in the primary health care units, there are several establishments with 100% of accession.
At the Hospital de Portimão, the participation of nurses, who fight for better salary conditions, was considerably higher than in Faro. In Portimão, according to the SEP, 87% of nurses joined the strike and Faro, only 62%.
The lack of nurses in Portimão led to the cancellation of outpatient consultations that depend on nursing care, found the Sul Informação, being that, in Faro, there were also rescheduled appointments.
With regard to Health Centers and Basic Emergency Services (SUB), there are five locations where adhesion has reached 100%: the SUB in Albufeira and the Health Centers in Castro Marim, São Brás de Alportel, Quarteira and Almancil.
In terms of Personalized Care Units, the one in Tavira also reached 100%, in Lagos 93% of nurses joined the strike, in Albufeira 90%, in Vila do Bispo 75% and in Lagoa 60%.
At Community Care units, 80% of the strike is taking place in Tavira, 71% in Lagoa, Lagos and Vila Real de Santo António, 63% in Loulé and 60% in Albufeira.
Also with regard to Family Health Units, there are 100% adhesions, namely in Faro (Al Gharb) and in Loulé. The Ria Formosa Family Health Unit (Faro) stood at 60%.
Despite the numbers provided by the SEP, ARS do Algarve source told the Sul Informação that, in the health units under its jurisdiction, there is no “knowledge of relevant constraints, since the minimum services are guaranteed”.
As happens in almost all strikes, the data from the unions and the Administration do not coincide and, referring to the strikes in Alentejo and in Lisbon and Vale do Tejo, which took place yesterday and Tuesday, Health Minister Paulo Macedo says the advanced membership numbers are "wrong".
The Union responded and says that the minister “wants to “rig” the adhesion data”” and explains that “under the terms of the Law and the Agreement on Minimum Services between SEP and Ministry of Health, the Nurses who are on strike, but that they have to ensure the Minimum Services (they work and receive), they are counted as strikers».
Also according to the same note published on the SEP website, «the strong adhesion of the Algarve nurses: from the hospital area and from the area of Primary Health Care (most Health Centers had an adhesion between 60 and 90%, with five to 100%), continues to show the nurses' strong discontent with their working conditions, which the Government and Ministry of Health have deteriorated».
The nurses' strike in the Algarve lasts until midnight on Friday.
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