Socialist MPs from a parliamentary health committee investigating the Algarve’s health service are “deeply concerned” at the deteriorating situation despite regional management’s claims that all is well.
The committee members spent two days visiting various of the Algarve’s health departments, meeting doctors, nurses and managers and concluded that generally things were worse than in 2011.
The five socialist MPs concluded their main concern is over the continuing lack of doctors, nurses and technical assistants.
In family medicine the MPs reported that there had in fact been a reduction of 26 doctors between 2011 and the present leaving the Algarve with just 173.
"Despite the advertised vacancies it has not been possible to attract doctors and other professionals to the region,” this has led to a difficult situation and a resulting poor service to patients, according to the statement from the socialist MPs.
During their visit the MPs found a mixture of staff and doctors on temporary contracts, permanent contracts and foreign doctors on yet another employment scheme all of which caused inequalities in salaries and, presumably, a degree of natural resentment.
"These situations are highly detrimental for users, some have a Portuguese doctor, others have Cuban doctor and others just have poor health," concluded the socialist MPs.
In the Algarve around 30% of users do not have an assigned family doctor.
As for mental health care, the Algarve lacks any "competent service provision" and the sector is staffed by temporary workers.
Despite buoyant statistics promoted by regional health managers, the total number of surgical interventions fell 34% between 2010 and 2014.
At the end of the damning report into the service failure of the regional Health Authority and the Algarve Hospitals Group run by the outspoken Pedro Nunes, the socialist MPs commented that the service was only kept going by the dedication of medical professionals and the commitment and effort of local mayors.
