The priority "is to guarantee Covid and non-Covid care activity in health units" in the Algarve, as well as vaccination, so the beach posts will only open if there are nurses available, guaranteed the Regional Health Administration, in response to a complaint from the Portuguese Nurses Union (SEP).
According to the union, «nurses from the Algarve health centers were informed by email of the orientation of the ARS Algarve that they will also have to secure the traditional beach posts».
"This obligation, yet another, is causing strong discontent among the exhausted nurses, many of them working days at a time without a day off and with 12-hour shifts, in order to respond to Covid activities and even to the care activity, which is already limited", he added the SEP, which asks: “what are the priorities of the ARS after all?”.
Contacted by Sul Informação, this entity assured that «at this moment, the priority of the Regional Health Administration of the Algarve, in articulation with the three Health Center Groups (ACeS) in the region, is to guarantee Covid and non-Covid assistance activity in health units and to ensure the process of vaccination against Covid-19 currently underway in the 11 Vaccination Centers in the region».
«Thus, ARS Algarve has opened, so far, only a few Beach Posts (Fuzeta, Farol, Armona, Faro, Galé, Rocha Baixinha Nascente and Quarteira on weekends), and the number of posts may be expanded during the summer, but always in accordance with the availability of nursing resources from ACeS and care and vaccination priorities,” he added. .
It is true that this is one more thing that joins the many that are already on the nurses' “plate” at this moment, recalls the SEP.
"On top of the current public health problem, we have another: burnout and musculoskeletal injuries that are causing nurses to be on sick leave," they say.
«In a meeting with the ARS, we asked how they planned to respond to the beach posts. They informed that using overtime and partial mobility. What is certain is that the CHUA nurses are also overwhelmed with work. The shortage results, in some services, in a decrease in the number of nurses per shift and, for this reason, their collaboration fell short of the expectations of the ARS», add the union members.
"It is not possible to continue at this pace that has been going on for a year and a half, in which many have not enjoyed their vacation." This is because, "despite the assurance of Secretary of State Lacerda Sales that no vacation would be suspended for CHUA professionals this year, the truth is that there are nurses whose vacation was suspended."
In this way, the union demands that "conditions be created to be able to admit students who are about to leave nursing schools", as well as that "the profession be valued and nurses treated well, in order to secure those who work here and encourage those who are abroad to return».
The ARS Algarve «recognizes the effort and praises, once again, the professionalism, commitment and daily dedication of all health professionals, namely nurses, who have played a fundamental role in the last year and a half in the fight against Covid-19, whether in primary health care, hospitals and Vaccination Centers».
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