Portugal’s Healthcare System Strained as Flu Surge Forces Emergency Service Closures
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A severe influenza outbreak is overwhelming hospitals across Portugal, leading to emergency service closures and significant delays in patient care. The situation is particularly acute in the areas of gynecology, obstetrics, and pediatrics, with authorities urging citizens to seek alternative care options whenever possible.
Several hospitals have been forced to temporarily close or restrict access to their emergency departments. On Tuesday, gynecology and obstetrics emergencies were closed at hospitals in Barreiro and Setúbal. Further south, the obstetric emergency department at Portimão Hospital also remains closed to direct walk-ins. In total, seven emergency services within the National Health Service are currently operating with limitations.
The Hospital de Braga is among those operating under restrictions, with its gynecology and obstetrics emergency department now only accepting patients with internal referrals from services like CODU, INEM, and Linha SNS24. The birth center at Hospital do Barreiro is not expected to reopen until January 3rd. Pediatric emergency services at the Hospital de Vila Franca de Xira, Beatriz Ângelo in Loures, and Barcelos are also subject to similar referral-only policies at certain times of the day. The hospitals of Amadora-Sintra, Santa Maria da Feira, and Santarém are experiencing identical constraints within their obstetrics departments.
Flu Mortality Exceeds Expectations
The surge in flu cases is driving the strain on the healthcare system. A senior official stated that 80% of patients admitted to intensive care units have not received a flu vaccination. Mortality rates are currently higher than anticipated for this time of year, with 159 more deaths reported in the last seven days than would normally be expected.
The impact of the crisis is already visible in extended wait times. Early Tuesday morning, patients presenting with less urgent conditions – categorized with a “yellow bracelet” – at Amadora-Sintra Hospital faced an average wait time of approximately 14 hours, as reported by the RTP news team.
Coimbra Activates Level 2 Contingency Plan
In response to the escalating situation, authorities in Coimbra have raised the contingency plan to level 2. According to Alexandre Lourenço, president of ULS in Coimbra, the activation is a direct result of the increased number of patients presenting with respiratory infections, with influenza A accounting for the vast majority of cases – around 20% of all patients.
“We appeal to all users to access their family doctors, SNS24, clinical care centers and avoid going to the emergency room,” Lourenço urged. “In practice, go to the emergency room only when strictly necessary. In health centers, they can have much closer care, in clinical care centers with access to exams, X-rays, blood tests, ECG, therefore they can solve all their problems for respiratory infections. And obviously we maintain all this capacity in our emergency services for more serious situations.”
The current crisis underscores the critical need for preventative measures, including widespread vaccination, and responsible utilization of healthcare resources to ensure adequate care for all citizens.
