The socialist party in Lagoa has accused the Government of inaction on carrying out its health policies, referring to the worrysome plight of Lagoa residents, many oif whom are without a family doctor, and things are set to get worse as the summertime increase in population will add 200,000 tourists and part time residents to the list.
According to estimates used by the socialists to highlight the plight of the local population, "there are already about 6,000 users without medical cover in Ferragudo, Carvoeiro, Estômbar, Parchal and Porches, with only 56.8% of users on the civil register having medical cover from a doctor, therefore there are around 12,000 users without a doctor."
"Successive decreases in the number of working doctors has of course increased waiting times and has reduced the number of appointments available each day," claim the socialists, adding that the situation in Lagoa is unacceptable, since there are only nine contracted doctors which corresponds to only one doctor on duty at any one time.”
To make worsen matters, the Cuban doctors that have completed their contracts have not been replaced.
"Patients have been going to emergency at Portimão hospital which is also problematic as the services provided by this hospital are poor," according to the socialist party spokesman who has highlighted a widespread problem that needs urgent attention from a management that again has been caught napping.
Nationally the number of citizens with no family doctor has increased by 24% since 2006, according to an audit released today by the Court of Auditors.
The number of users without a family doctor increased as the new Family Health Units began to emerge, reveals the audit, "The ultimate goal of the reform of primary health care was to assign a family doctor to each user enrolled in functional units, this has not yet been reached," reads the report.
