PSD Algarve argues that it is «vital to put into practice an urgent program to reduce waiting lists in the most affected specialties», in hospitals in the Algarve.
In a statement signed by Cristóvão Norte, president of the Algarve District of Social Democrats, they consider that «if it is not possible to recruit professionals and increase clinical production in various areas», «the guarantee of mobilization of the private sector and social for this task».
«Health does not wait, so it is essential to help an increasing number of patients on hold», stressed Cristóvão Norte.
The PSD/Algarve leader adds the numbers: “at the moment, there are 12022 patients who are on the waiting list for consultations and have already seen the maximum guaranteed response time exceeded. With regard to surgeries, there are 4474 surgeries in arrears, with all the waiting times for their performance having been largely exceeded».
Now, he argues, "this requires ministerial intervention, since it is clear that the region does not have mechanisms to recruit human resources to respond to these requests, but it also requires better organization and more efficiency of services, which also has to be built with a renewed policy of incentives and valuation of professionals».
The PSD Algarve says it hopes that «it will be possible to approve the PSD proposals in the State Budget on this matter, which establish that, after the deadline for carrying out consultations, surgeries and examinations, the user has the right to appeal to the social or private sector, with the State assuming this responsibility».
In the same communiqué, the Algarve social democrats also comment on the cases that have appeared in hospitals in the region. «In recent days, some episodes at the Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Algarve that cause social alarm and mistrust in the population have been known. From exchanging corpses, a patient found dead in the bathroom after successive warnings from relatives and another patient, who died when he was sent home – after observation in the emergency room – and then called back to the hospital, having not been possible to provide help in time".
PSD Algarve understands that «it is important to determine the causes of these misfortunes, not only to assign responsibilities - individual or collective -, if any, but also to restore the confidence of users in the services provided».
In the opinion of the Algarve's social democrats, «a climate of distrust is installed, and is increasingly acute, regarding the quality of many of the care services provided by hospitals in the Algarve, namely with regard to urgent care».
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