Emergency Services in Portugal Face Major Disruptions with 17 Closures This Sunday!

Major Disruptions in Emergency Services

This Sunday, access to hospital emergency services in Portugal is significantly hampered, with 17 emergency departments closed, according to data from the National Health Service (SNS).

Impact on the South Bank of the Tagus

The effects are particularly pronounced on the South Bank of the Tagus, with notable closures in obstetrics and gynecology at:

• Hospital de São Bernardo in Setúbal
• Hospital Garcia de Orta in Almada
• Hospital Nossa Senhora do Rosário in Barreiro.

Pediatric Emergencies Also Affected

In this region, the pediatric emergency services at both the Barreiro Hospital and Setúbal Hospital are also closed.

Alternatives Needed in Lisbon and Surroundings

Patients in the Lisbon and Vale do Tejo region must seek alternatives due to the closure of:

• Obstetrics emergency at Hospital de Santa Maria in Lisbon
• Pediatrics emergency at Hospital Beatriz Ângelo in Loures
• Obstetrics and gynecology emergency at Hospital de Santarém.

Central Region Closures

In the Central region, the obstetrics and gynecology emergencies at:

• Hospital de Santo André in Leiria
• Hospital das Caldas da Rainha are also closed.

Northern and Southern Region Closures

In the North, the pediatric emergency at Hospital de Chaves is closed, while in the South, access to the obstetrics emergency at Hospital de Portimão is not available.

Additional Service Constraints

The pediatric care service in Viseu is also closed today, and Hospital Amadora-Sintra has limited pediatric emergency services from 20:00 to 08:00.

Limited Services Available

The Hospital Prof. Dr. Fernando Fonseca (Hospital Amadora-Sintra) has obstetrics and gynecology emergencies only available by referral throughout the day. The Hospital Beatriz Ângelo (Loures) has a 24-hour referral for their obstetrics and gynecology emergencies.

Overall Status of Emergency Services

In total, 12 emergencies were closed on Saturday, along with three referred (with restrictions) and two CODU/INEM referred, leaving 155 emergencies open. However, today’s situation worsened with 17 closures, down to 151 open emergencies.

New Closures and Reopenings

Today's new closures include the gynecology and obstetrics emergencies at:

• Hospital de Santo André in Leiria
• Hospital Rainha Santa Isabel in Torres Novas
• The obstetrics and gynecology emergency at Hospital Beatriz Ângelo (Loures)
• Gynecology emergency at Hospital de Portimão.

Conversely, the obstetrics and gynecology emergency at Hospital das Caldas da Rainha has reopened.

Public Advisory

In a statement released on Thursday, the SNS Executive Board warned the public about "constraints in emergency services over the weekend" and urged patients to call the SNS24/SNS Grávida line at 808242424 before heading to a hospital. The board initially indicated 13 emergency closures, but the current situation is even more severe, based on SNS portal data.