Health Minister Manuel Pizarro says he does not know how many pregnant women have been “redirected” to other hospitals due to the closure of emergency obstetrics and that this concept needs to be clarified.
The official stressed that in more than 30 years of his healthcare career, he has always seen pregnant women in labor transfer between hospital wards “for a variety of reasons”.
On the response from the SNS, Pizarro acknowledged that all is not well, but he disagrees with “the theory of chaos,” underlined: “It is clear that, for example in the field of obstetrics, the painful nature of public maternity hospitals, which serve all people (…), is different from that of maternity hospitals that offer 100% caesarean sections”.
Regarding the maternity work group’s proposal, he said the work is still on “in an embryonic stage”.
According to news published in the press last week, the group of experts responsible for proposing a solution to obstetric emergencies and childbirth blockages in National Health Service (SNS) hospitals has proposed to the government the gynecology and obstetric emergencies in hospitals. to concentrate. Famalicão, Povoa de Varzim, Guarda, Castelo Branco, Vila Franca de Xira and Barreiro.
“You can remain calm, because the system continues to respond fully”said Manuel Pizarro, insisting: “Our concern is to ensure absolute predictability and safety in maternal and child health”he said.
The health minister also ruled out the existence of prejudices regarding the private and social sectors, stressing that the priority is to provide public services and that, when proven beneficial, there will be complementarity.
“The risk of shifting funding to these sectors is skimming from the public sector. That’s why I see the complementary intervention as healthy”said Manuel Pizarro.
The minister spoke at the Parliamentary Health Committee, where he will be heard as a minister for the first time this Wednesday, at the request of the Liberal Initiative, about the Annual Report on access to health care in the institutions of the National Health Service (SNS) and Agreed Entities , for 2021, and the government’s perspectives and plans for the future of the SNS and, at the request of the PS, on the new SNS Statute.
He also referred to the Statute of the National Health Service (SNS), saying that “it gives priority to public services”, where whenever it proves beneficial to the people and to the public interest, the complementarity of social and private sector.
Source: DN
