The president of the Order of Psychologists considered this Wednesday “incomprehensible” that the Ponta Delgada Hospital does not have an independent psychology service and maintained that remote interventions could help overcome the lack of psychologists.
“We find it quite incomprehensible how the organisation of psychological services in Ponta Delgada still does not conform to the practices that we have long advocated and that have been applied on the continent, guaranteeing functional autonomy,” Francisco Miranda Rodrigues, who is visiting the Azores, told the Lusa agency.
Following a visit by the Order of Psychologists to the Divino Espírito Santo Hospital (HDES), in Ponta Delgada, São Miguel Island, the president warned that the “work of psychologists is not organized in an autonomous service” in the largest health unit in the country. the Azores.
Francisco Miranda Rodrigues said that Psychologists in the health sector have a “quite broad and transdisciplinary” job which “is not compatible with a dependency” on a “specific department or service within a health unit.”
“This is clearly something that needs to be done quickly, for the good of the users. It is a matter of service organisation, but it has an impact. It may not be seen as much, but it has an impact on the service that is delivered to the people,” he insisted.
The president of the Order of Psychologists, who also visited Santa Maria, praised the Reinforcement of professionals in the island’s health unit, But he regretted that other areas were left “uncovered”For example, with the domestic violence prevention center, which “no longer has a psychologist.”
“If we have to have professionals who care for people who are simultaneously victims and aggressors, we have a problem. To prevent this from happening, some measures must be taken,” he warned, also highlighting that the Santa María Primary and Secondary School needs additional psychologists.
Francisco Miranda Rodrigues said that carrying out remote interventions could be a “great benefit for the population” as it could avoid conflicts of interest and compensate for the absence of professionals.
“I think it is time, especially in territories with these characteristics, in some circumstances, to adopt something that is a practice today in the world, which is the existence of remote intervention. We must ensure that this is possible at a technical and security level,” he suggested.
Source: Observadora
