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Portugal's sick children remain untreated

stethascopeHalf of Portugal’s families had no money last year to pay for essential medical treatment, with many cutting down on food and resorting to loans to cover these expenses, according to consumer watchdog, Deco.

Of critical concern, the Deco report showed that one third were children who were left without treatment, consultation or medication advised by the doctor.

Deco’s health magazine report was based on a survey of 1,763 Portuguese households.

The difficulty in paying for health care disproportionally affected families with monthly income below €1,500, those with many children, single parents and those with family members suffering from chronic disease.

"This is a country where about 40% of families live on less than €1.000 per month," noted the report.

Dental and optical care is being postponed due to lack of funds and emergency treatment is being avoided by 10% of families as they have no money to pay for it.

Although the poorest are exempt from user fees, covert payments are demanded which are unaffordable for most.

The non-refundable annual cost of healthcare accounted for 19% of the net disposable incomes of the group interviewed, a proportion that rises to 25% in households with a chronically ill member.

To buy in essential medical care, one in five families had to go into debt by borrowing from friends or banks.

For those in work, the number of days lost due to continuing health problems made worse by a lack of health care was 35 million.

These findings were taken from data gathered during the third year of the Passos Coelho government which insisted that health spending was increased and that nobody was denied access to healthcare.

The reality seems to contradict the claims of politicians and with 35 million days lost due to avoidable ill health, the economic impact has been severe.

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Comments  

+1 #1 Malcolm.H 2015-11-27 12:03
Many Portuguese over the last few years have hurled back at a 'moaning' north European the line "You think we are a 3rd World country". The northerner then backtracks, apologising that they just want the cheating, lying and overcharging to stop.

But Ed - this is proof if it was ever needed how dis-functional Portugal has always been. Long before joining the EU. There never was a Golden Age. The rich always lived off the fat of the land and the poor always starved, went without or went off to sea.

Apparently new PM Costa is going to have a bash at this - equality it is called - but it is the Greek problem too. A vastly overmanned, largely unnecessary, public administration whose salaries and pensions must be protected and paid at all costs. No matter who else starves and goes without.

Remind ourselves that each of these 40 or so new ministers and Secretaries of State will each bring in 20 to 40 of their friends and families. As they do not trust the previous PSD / CDS friends and families who will remain on the public payroll, as all those previously have for 40 years - none get dismissed. Job for life. These then get placed somewhere in the system. Paid for 35 hours a week but, as they duplicate 4 other posts, probably 'working' from home.

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