Protesters marched through the town of Lagos last Saturday in a demonstration organised by the Committee of Users of the National Health Service.
The protesters presented a motion which stressed their "displeasure" provoked by the health policies of the government and the situation they face at Lagos Hospital, Portimão Hospital, health centers and clinics across the Algarve.
The motion presented by the participants highlights the problems at the Lagos Hpspital which has lost services and beds over the last few years and now has “a basic emergency service that does not perform X-rays between midnight and 8.00am.”
The document also stresses that the reorganisation of the health service management in the western Algarve was not intended to "improve hospital care in the municipalities of Aljezur, Lagos and Vila do Bispo but gradually to empty Lagos Hospital of beds and services."
With the creation of the Hospital of the Algarve management unit, "the situation has worsened, there is a significant shortage of doctors in various specialties, a shortfall of 80 nurses and 60 assistants, and public funding that does not allow investment, the purchase of equipment, interventional radiology and MRIs, among other things."
The demonstrators demanded "urgent action" to create conditions for the proper functioning of Lagos Hospital and the public health services in general.
There has been no comment from the regional management headed by Dr Pedro Nunes whose stated position is that if he waits long enough these sort of protestors will grow tired and drift away.
