Weekend closure of the Pediatrics department in Portimão hospital is confirmed
Yesterday, the SNS Executive Board clarified that the planned closure of pediatric services in Portimão will come in to force between Friday and Sunday, starting today.
Due to the absence of a doctor specialising in Pediatrics at the Portimão unit, care will be provided by non-specialised doctors and care by specialist doctors will be provided by the Pediatric Emergency Service in Faro. Departments included are Delivery Block, Emergency Service, Inpatient Pediatrics, Neonatology and Nursery.
In a meeting held on Thursday the National Health Service (SNS) the Board of Directors and the Clinical and Nursing Directorate, the directorates of the Gynecology/Obstetrics and Pediatrics/Neonatology services at CHUA, the Regional Health Administration of the Algarve and the National Institute of Medical Emergency, evaluated the operating conditions at the hospital in Portimão.
"Due to the limitation of medical human resources in pediatrics, as a result of absences due to parenting and unforeseen circumstances due to illness, the availability of the institution's professionals and the opening of resources from other hospitals in the SNS network are being reassessed, in order to maintain a structured and consistent response during the seasonal summer period", the resulting statement reads.
The management also says that, "from the weekend of June 2nd to 4th, the suspension of activity" of the delivery block and the pediatric emergency service in Portimão was already foreseen, and publicly announced, "there is no change in the process, compared to what was previously announced".
By Sunday, June 4, the contingency plan for the summer months will be reviewed and released by the Executive Board-SNS, depending on the need to preserve the highest safety and quality criteria, avoiding any risk situation for pregnant women or children, as well as for the activity of professionals", said the representative.
The National Institute of Medical Emergencies (INEM) will remain on standby, reinforcing the emergency response, in accordance with the established contingency plan.
"Primary Health Care will provide support in the response to the child with an acute illness, mitigating the use of the emergency service", says the Executive Board of the SNS.
Hours before this statement was released, the PSD (Social Democratic Party) of the Algarve denounced, in a statement to Lusa news agency, "the very serious decision to close, without any date set" for the reopening.
“This is an unacceptable decision, it is the SNS that is withdrawing from the western Algarve: pregnant women will give birth, in some cases, more than 100km away from home, any episode of urgency or hospitalisation of all children and young people up to 18 years old will take place in Faro”, said Cristóvão Norte, president of PSD Algarve, quoted in the note.
Train collides with a truck in Silves
Rail traffic was suspended between Poço Frito and Poço Barreto, in Silves, after a truck was hit by a train at an unguarded level crossing.
The driver of the truck suffered minor injuries, although luckily the collision occurred on the passenger side.
Infraestruturas de Portugal, the GNR, INEM and 20 firefighters from Silves, Lagos and Messines attended the scene. The 53 year old man was referred to the Portimão Hospital for treatment.
17 year old girl missing from Faro
The police are appealing to the public for any information about 17 year old Jessica's whereabouts. She has been missing since Monday.
Jessica Luís, who turns 18 in August, has been missing from a childrens institution in Faro, the, since Monday.
If anyone has information about Jessica's whereabouts, please contact the PSP in Faro by telephone on 289 899 899, or via their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/PSPFaro
Pensioner arrested for attempted thefts
A 71 year old man with a criminal record has been arrested this morning for attempted thefts with a firearm, in Albufeira and Silves.
The suspect, with "a vast criminal record for committing violent crimes", was arrested following two robbery attempts, inside a residence in Albufeira and then again in Silves, said the police statement.
According to the Judicial Police, the crimes were committed on May 19th and 26th.
The suspect, armed with a gun, tried to steal money, bank cards and a vehicle, valued at tens of thousands of euros.
In a joint operation by the Department of Criminal Investigation of Portimão and the Judicial Police, the man was identified, located and arrested. The weapon used during the crimes and its ammunition were also recovered.
Investigators widen the search for Maddie after photos come to light
Investigators are set to widen the search for Madeleine McCann after photos belonging to prime suspect Christian Brueckner revealed ‘clues’ , say UK newspaper 'The Independent'.
After scouring areas of the countryside surrounding the Barragem do Arade reservoir in the Algarve last week, searching for evidence Madeleine McCann and seemingly finding nothing definitve, investigators have referred back to more than 8000 photographs belonging to Brueckner showing other places similar to what he referred to as his “little slice of paradise”, next to the barragem in Silves.
As a result, it is reported that two other areas surrounding Praia da Luz, where Madeleine disappeared in 2007, could be searched by police in the near future.
A source told Uk newspaper : “German officers have gone through more than 8,000 pictures belonging to Brueckner. That forensic work led them to Barragem - but there are other places that have come up in the pictures too. Detectives are seeking to work out where they are, and why Brueckner was taking pictures of those places.”
154 hectare solar farm planned on ecological land in Tavira - sign the petition against this project
Portuguese environmental association www.probaal.org is working to neutralise the threat of a proposed solar power plant of 83 megawatts, to be built on ecological land in the Cerro do Leiria, Tavira, in the Eastern Algarve.
Spanish renewables company Iberdrola plans to invest another €3bn in wind and solar energy in Portugal over the coming years.
At the end of 2022, construction was completed on the Alcochete solar complex (46MW) in the Setúbal district (Lisbon region), where Iberdrola has also completed two other PV facilities: Conde (13.5MW) and Algeruz II (27MW).
In early 2023, construction will begin on the 37MW Montechoro I and II projects in Paderne (Albufeira), and the 64MW Carregado project in Alenquer (Lisbon), while the Estoi solar plant (83MW) in the Algarve, which also includes battery storage, will come on stream in 2024.
Current plans are for Iberdrola to build a 154 hectare solar farm on REN land in the East Algarve Barrocal. This area of unique biodiversity is home to over 300 species of flora and fauna and is the direct infiltration area to the underlying Moncarapacho/Peral aquifer.
Clearing the land here of thousands of trees, bushes and rocks and the subsequent levelling will directly affect the infiltration of rain water, having a devastating effect on the ecosystem and water levels.
As of 19th May 2023, this project is in the public consultation phase, so the more individual participations, the more impact we can have on the halting the process.
Please take a few minutes online to stand up for nature in this community. Anyone has the right to register their opinion or concerns about the solar power plant proposal.
Just visit the www.probaal.org for more information about the project, instructions on how to register and sign the petition. Alternatively you can go to the Portal Participa website directly and submit your contribution.
You can make your voice heard until 30th June 2023.
SCAM: Speeding tickets detected by radars
There is a new scam circulating via email, with scammers impersonating the ANRS (National Road Safety Authority), PSP or GNR requesting payment of a fine for speeding, or for using a mobile phone while driving.
Online scams have become a common crime and are only getting more and more creative. This new cunning scheme is done by using a black and white radar image of a random car, received by email, indicating that the person was fined for speeding by a speed radar, or for using a mobile phone while driving. Personal data is then requested in order to process payment of the fine.
Please note that notifications from the competent authorities: ANSR, PSP or GNR are always carried out in person, or by registered postal mail directly to the legal address of the vehhicle owner. The authorities never send emails or SMS's requesting any type of information or personal data.
One last piece of advice from the authorities is not to open unknown links.
