Ministry says all means were used in the case of the baby who died in Portimão

The transport failed due to the worsening condition of the child, who ended up dying

The Ministry of Health said today that all means were made available in the case of the baby who died in Portimão while waiting for a hospital transfer, and that the transport failed due to the worsening of his condition.

“All clinical and technical means were made available, in permanent articulation with INEM [National Institute of Medical Emergencies], but, unfortunately, at the time when the helitransport was going to carry out the inter-hospital transfer, the baby suffered a worsening of the condition. its state, incompatible with transport”, a source from the ministry told Lusa.

The 11-month-old baby died on Friday at the hospital in Portimão while awaiting transfer to the pediatric intensive care unit at the hospital in Portimão. Faro, which had no Pediatrics service and whose pediatric inter-hospital transport ambulance was inoperative due to the lack of a doctor at the hospital.

After contacting the pediatric inter-hospital transport ambulance in Lisbon, which was busy, an INEM helicopter was called in, but when the medical teams were preparing to transport the baby, his health deteriorated. The child died a few hours later.

Questioned by Lusa about whether the ministry intends to maintain the operation of Pediatrics on a rotating basis, the same source of guardianship clarified that the baby's death has nothing to do with the rotating operating model, which is a competence of the board of directors of the Hospital Center from the Algarve.

"The family resorted to the nearest emergency room to where they were, which is the pediatric emergency room at the hospital in Portimão, and which was open", said the source, stressing that the pediatric intensive care unit that operates at the hospital in Portimão Faro was available to receive the baby.

The Ministry of Health stressed that the articulation between the various units of the National Health Service (SNS) “happens throughout every day of the year, so that, whenever necessary, hospitals in other regions collaborate with the Algarve in order to receive patients who need care in other institutions”.

However, in this case, the Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Algarve (CHUA) “was in a position to respond” and what was outlined was an internal transfer within the institution.

“Naturally, the SNS works in a network and when an institution does not have the capacity, users are guided towards others with differentiation and availability for the purpose. This has happened in the Algarve, as in the North or Centre, whenever there is no timely response, for example, due to excessive demand, and it has worked with favorable results”, he indicated.

The same source also mentioned that there is a seasonal plan that will be implemented for the summer period, in order to increase the response, integrating primary health care, hospital care and INEM.

 

 



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