The Algarve Local Health Units have today reestablished full activity, after non-urgent services were cancelled on Monday, due to the powercuts that affected the Iberian Peninsula.
According to the hospital administration, which includes the public hospitals of Faro, Portimão and Lagos and the group of Central, Barlavento and Sotavento Health centers, “the units responded to the power outage without any critical incidents”.
The power outage led to the cancellation of non-urgent scheduled activities at health centers and hospitals in the region, after late Monday morning.
However, day hospitals for cancer patients and emergency services remained in operation, without any restrictions, in hospitals in Faro, Portimão and Lagos and in the Basic Emergency Services of Vila Real de Santo António, Loulé and Albufeira.
"There was always a reserve of intensive care and hospital beds. Normal and caesarean births took place normally and health centres remained open to treat acute illnesses”, said the ULS in a statement. "There were some water supply failures in several of the ULS/Algarve buildings spread across the region, the most relevant being the one that affected the hospital outpatient building in Faro”.
“The start-up of the generator at the Hospital do Barlavento Algarvio took longer than expected, requiring manual intervention, without affecting the functioning of the vital life support systems”, said the statement.
According to ULS/Algarve, the crisis office will hold meetings to assess “the points that require attention, for the continuous improvement of the institution's Disaster Plan”.
A widespread power outage affected Portugal and Spain on Monday, starting at 11:30, a situation that remains unexplained by the authorities. Closed airports, transport congestion and traffic in large cities were some of the consequences of the “blackout”.
Power was restored gradually throughout the day, starting in the central part of the country.
The electricity distribution network operator E-Redes today guaranteed that the service has been fully restored and normalised.
