Friday Briefing: Try Another Hospital
Good morning and welcome to PORTUGAL DECODED. New Government, same old issues: why has the summer become synonymous with closed emergency services?
TALK OF THE TOWN
POLITICS
In a Government approval poll, the Minister of Education scored the highest rating, while the Minister of Health scored the lowest. Meanwhile, public trust in President, the Government and the National Assembly has increased (More).
PM Montenegro will be on holidays on August 12-27 and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Paulo Rangel, will take over the Government. Here’s what you to know about the man who will be guiding the country during the next weeks (More).
SOCIETY
Portuguese people work roughly two years longer than the EU’s average, a new study has revealed. In 2023, the average working life in Portugal was 39.1 years, an increase of almost one percentage point from 2022 (More).
A 74-year-old man tried to rape two young women camping in Castelo de Vide and then shot them while they escaped. The suspect was arrested and the girls remain in hospital, but thankfully out of danger (More).
ECONOMICS
Amidst a wave of European anti-tourism protests, Viana do Castelo, Oeiras, Caminha and Setúbal have introduced tourist taxes. Their fees will range from €1 to €2 per adult, per night (More).
Remote work is rapidly expanding in Portugal, representing a fifth of workers in the second quarter of 2024. Hybrid working models are the most popular and have increased by 19.2% from the previous year (More).
CULTURE AND SPORTS
Iuri Leitão has won the silver medal in track cycling at the 2024 Olympic Games. There are still 13 Portuguese athletes in competition, including 2020 medalists Pedro Pichardo and Fernando Pimenta (More).
The author of a children’s book on gender issues has filed a complaint against the far-right organization Habeas Corpus, after they interrupted a presentation of the book last Saturday (More).
DECODER
What’s the matter with Portuguese emergency services?
What’s the story?
Last weekend, an all-too-familiar drama played out in Portuguese hospitals: on Saturday, 11 gynecology-obstetrics emergency services closed down and, on Sunday, two more were closed. In Leiria, planned births are currently being referred to Porto, more than 200km (124 miles) away. On Monday, a woman suffering a miscarriage and heavy bleeding was allegedly denied entry at the Caldas da Rainha Hospital. The hospital denied the accusations but, on Tuesday, the Health Regulatory Authority (ERS) announced an investigation into the case. On Thursday, to appease growing criticism, President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, PM Montenegro and Health Minister, Ana Paula Martins, to the Santa Maria Hospital Maternity, in Lisbon, currently undergoing rehabilitation.
Why does this problem return every summer?
It boils down to human resources. Statistics from the Portuguese Medical Association show that there is no shortage of Gynecology and Obstetrics specialists in the country. However, roughly half of the physicians in the field work are in the private sector, which offers better work conditions and salaries 3 to 5 times above the National Health Service (SNS). Furthermore, a recent study by the College of Gynecology-Obstetrics of the Medical Association, revealed that almost half (46%) of specialists in this field are aged 55 or over, an age which allows them to refuse to do emergency service. Though many have accepted to do emergency service, the reality is that the number of doctors reaching retirement age is rapidly increasing. The problem is heightened during the summer because many doctors take vacations (like most Portuguese do) and there aren’t sufficient specialist clinicians for Gynecology-Obstetrics teams to function.
Didn’t PM Montenegro say that he was going to solve the issue?
Yes, while in opposition, he accused PM Costa of being responsible for the “worst phase ever” of the SNS and presented 25 structural proposals to reverse the “unacceptable state” of health care in Portugal. In May 2024, already as Prime Minister, he presented a 54-measure new emergency plan for health sector. However, an investigation by journalist Vera Lúcia Arreigoso showed that there are 40% more emergency services closed this summer than last year. In other words, the problem is now worse. Therefore, the Socialists have PS accused the Government of contributing to the worsening of the SNS' response problems with the dismantling of the reform initiated by the previous executive. Although most people agree that good planning can help to mitigate the issue, there is also a recognition that there is no easy fix for the chaos in Gynecology, Obstetrics and Pediatrics emergency services.
So, what should people in need do?
The Portuguese authorities have stressed that most services are open and that the restrictions are mainly localized in the Lisbon Metropolitan area. In any case, patients should always call the SNS (808 24 24 24) before heading to an emergency service to know where to go. A map of the open services is available on the SNS website but this may suffer last minute changes.
TIPS OF THE WEEK
Lisbon
Mother Courage
Considered by some to be the greatest play of the 20th century, this Teatro do Bairro production of Bertolt Brecht’s anti-war classic is timely. Set in the ruins of the Carmo Convent (partially destroyed during the Lisbon Earthquake of 1755), with lead performances to die for, “Mother Courage” takes place during the Thirty Years' War, over a period of 12 years. At the center of events is Anna Fierling, the “Mother”, and her three children, who she tries. However, she also makes ethically questionable choices. Mother Courage is presented with English subtitles and continues to August 17. I suggest taking a warm jumper as it gets cold at night. Tickets available here.
Porto
Serralves in Light
Porto doesn’t get many warm summer nights but, when it does, nothing beats a walk through the park. This festival, which has already received recognition from The Times as one of the 10 best exhibitions to visit in Europe, transforms the wonderful Serralves Park into an impactful light exhibition. Based on pillars such as sustainability, innovation, creativity, environment and freedom, under the artistic direction of Nuno Maya, the 2.5 km route explores the magic of light based on interactivity, video mapping, LEDs and visual effects present in 25 installations, providing universes and unique lighting experiences that transform the perception of space and the natural, landscape and architectural elements of the Park, constituting an exclusive and unique project in the city of Porto. More information here.
Cem Soldos, Tomar
Bons Sons
It is no coincidence that the festival's motto is “Come Live the Village” (Vem Viver a Aldeia). Between August 8-11, the village of Cem Soldos, Tomar is closed around its perimeter and its seven hundred inhabitants offer to help and collaborate in the event. Bons Sons has been organized since 2006 by Sport Clube Operário de Cem Soldos and, since then, it has maintained an exclusive program of Portuguese music. So prestigious is the festival that Salvador Sobral, the Portuguese Eurovision winner, wanted to play at the festival following his victory because he was told that no Portuguese artist could call himself an artist if he had never performed at Bons Sons. Between the concerts - and there over 50 of them this year - you can socialize with local people, visit Tomar and the river beaches of the Castelo de Bode dam.
Faro
Pedro Noel da Luz
The Xávega art is an artisanal fishing technique that dates back to the Pre-Classical and Classical civilizations of the Mediterranean Sea, which used small boats and hand hauling nets. Later, and during the Muslim occupation of the Iberian Peninsula, this type of net used in coastal maritime fishing appears with the designation of “Xábaka” and its expansion through Spanish Andalusia and the Portuguese Algarve gave rise to new expressions such as “Jábega”, “Xávega” or “Rinse”. Captured by the photographer Pedro Noel da Luz on Lagos’ Meia Praia beach in 2017, this exhibition portrays this tradition, which is still a way of life for some fishermen. The exhibition, which is free of entry, is on display at the Galeria Arco and can be visited on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 17h30 to 20h30 until August 22.
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