The Portuguese Association for the Rights of Women in Pregnancy and Childbirth questioned this Friday the Minister of Health about how many babies have to die for the structural crisis in midwifery services to be resolved of national hospitals.
In an open letter addressed to Marta Temido, the association considered “hard to face” the situation of obstetrics in Portugal, alluding to the death of two babiesone of them last week, at the Santarém hospital, and another in June, at the Hospital das Caldas da Rainha, in the district of Leiria.
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The association says that last Wednesday “after consulting the portal of the National Health Service (SNS) to find out which health unit to go to, a woman in labor traveled more than 100 km to Santarém, after verifying that O the emergency department of Gynecology and Obstetrics of the Abrantes Hospital, in his area of residence, was closed. The arrival, the baby was found dead. Last June, a pregnant woman lost her baby, after being treated at the Hospital das Caldas da Rainha, where, at this time, obstetric emergency closed“.
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Two cases that gave rise to the possibility of consulting the SNS online portal to obtain information on gynecological-obstetric emergencies and delivery services “does not solve the deficiencies in care in this specialty”says the Association, arguing that the problem “It can only be solved with a real and effective network of quality public health services, which guarantees everyone’s access to excellent health care”.
Stressing that pregnant women and their families need free access to health care to which they are entitled, the Association regrets that currently, “Even access to medical care is not guaranteed” and what in portugal if you die “in childbirth as much as 38 years ago”.
How many women and babies will still have to die, Madam Minister? Because it is August, because of the holidays, because of the lack of doctors and resources? Because of the successive disinvestments in our National Health Service? For the excuses of a pandemic that has passed, but that has served and continues to serve to postpone and cancel consultations, diagnostic tests and exonerate political decision makers from facing the disaster that unfolds before our eyes, ”questions the association in the letter released this Friday.
Referring to the differences between pregnant women who can use private health services and those who cannot, the association points out that “The gap between those who can and those who cannot is widening, with serious consequences for the most vulnerable populations, and nothing is done”.
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Considering that Obstetrics in Portugal faces “a deep structural problem, which will not be resolved when obstetricians return from vacation”The Association recommends to the Government the immediate mobilization of means by the State, similar to what happened during the pandemic, to solve the crisis in obstetric emergencies, “avoiding more potentially fatal situations in the assistance to parturients, either by reinforcing of contracting by public entities or for the articulation -temporarily and provisionally- with private services, to care for populations without access to public obstetric emergencies”.
Recommendations go through a effective investment in the SNS, ensuring quality health services throughout the national territory; the promotion of respect for the human rights of users and that other delivery care models be considered for women with low-risk pregnancies, as well as the inclusion of other options for delivery places, such as, for example, Care Units Maternal integrated in a wider assistance network.
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On a political level, Association defends an effective, systematic and transparent dialogue between civil society, health professionals, health institutions, the General Directorate of Health and the political power and that it is ensuring citizen access to data related to interventions during childbirth in each health institution.
In the letter, the Association underlines the the need to guarantee good working conditions for health professionals and to respect the legislation regarding the rights of usersas much as included in monitoring the quality of maternal health care, indicators that take into account the experience of women and health professionalsinserted in strategies oriented towards the promotion and protection of human rights.
the need to provide training to all health professionals on the rights of women in pregnancy and childbirthoh respect for the peer law is he access to the most up-to-date training and research Regarding procedures related to pregnancy and part are other recommendations expressed in the letter.
Source: Observadora
