Six emergency rooms shuttered on Saturday; eight more on Sunday follow suit
Over the upcoming weekend, several emergency departments in Portugal will be closing their doors due to a lack of specialist doctors to cover shifts, particularly during holiday periods like summer.
The pediatric emergency department at Hospital Vila Franca de Xira will be closed over the weekend, joining Hospital Distrital das Caldas da Rainha, Hospital Infante Dom Pedro in Aveiro, and Hospital de Santo André in Leiria in their temporary closure on Sunday.
In addition, five Obstetrics and Gynecology emergency departments will be closed on Saturday and another five on Sunday, impacting weekend emergency care availability for these specialties in affected hospitals.
However, it's important to note that routine Obstetrics and Gynecology care is generally available on weekdays at outpatient clinics. These clinics may not cover emergency demand over weekends.
For urgent Obstetrics and Gynecology issues during the weekend, it is advisable to identify which emergency departments remain open locally or seek care at private or other facilities not listed among the closed units. Due to ongoing staff shortages, some reduction in emergency availability continues to affect weekend services across the country.
The emergency services of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Hospital São Francisco Xavier, in Lisbon, will only receive cases referred by the Urgent Patients Orientation Center (CODU) of the National Institute of Medical Emergency (INEM) during the weekend. Similarly, the emergency services at Hospital Garcia de Orta, in Almada, will be closed on Sunday.
The Obstetrics and Gynecology emergency services at Hospital Garcia de Orta in Almada, Hospital Distrital de Santarém, and Hospital São Francisco Xavier in Lisbon will also be closed on Sunday.
Around 128 emergency services will be open throughout Portugal during the weekend, with around 30 Obstetrics and Gynecology services part of a pilot project and functioning during this period.
Health authorities urge the population to contact the SNS24 line before visiting an emergency to receive appropriate guidance. For instance, the pediatric emergency department at Hospital Amadora-Sintra will only receive cases of internal or referred urgency by INEM or the SNS24 line during the weekend.
On Sunday, the emergency service of these specialties at Hospital Doutor Manoel Constâncio, in Abrantes, will only receive patients referred by INEM between 21h00 and 24h00. Meanwhile, the Obstetrics emergency at Hospital Distrital de Santarém will be closed on Sunday.
Sources: - SNS portal, consulted by Lusa at 11h00 on this Friday.
- The temporary closure of several emergency departments over the weekend in Portugal may impact the availability of health-and-wellness services, particularly for medical-conditions related to Obstetrics and Gynecology.
- Seeking mental-health support during emergency periods might be a challenge due to the reduction in weekend services across the country, making it essential to contact the SNS24 line before visiting an emergency department for appropriate guidance.
