García de Orta Hospital (HGO) in Almada is not accepting patients referred by INEM to the obstetric emergency department until 8:00 pm Sunday and to orthopedics until 8:00 am Monday, a union source said.
Lusa contacted the regional secretary of the Independent Union of Physicians (SIM), Maria João Tiago, who said that “doctors’ schedules [daquelas especialidades] insufficient [no HGO]and the conditions for receiving patients are not met.
“There are doctors, but only to deal with internal emergencies. INEM has been alerted,” the union leader added, pointing out that in the event of an accident, ambulances, such as those transporting patients in need of orthopedic treatment, would have to go to the nearest hospital.
According to Maria João Thiago, this situation “occurs in different parts of the country because it was not possible to cure the doctors.”
“Most of them have already worked even more than their 150 hours, because the context comes from the time of the pandemic, and doctors cannot constantly work in exhaustion,” he said.
The union leader also noted that SIM reiterates that “all studies on the subject warn that physicians working in a state of exhaustion are at greater risk of error” in treating patients.
Lusa tried to contact the hospital administration, but so far it has not been successful.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
