The emergency ambulance stationed in Alcantarilha, Silves, was out of action on Monday between 08:00 and 16:00 as there was an insufficient number of staff around to maintain cover.
This is not the only gap in service recently as staff shortages have stymied minimum service provision in the Algarve during the busy month of December last year.
In recent weeks, ambulance services in Alcantarilha, Quarteira, Olhão and Faro were inoperative not once, but for several shifts.
Management from the emergency service (INEM) agreed that "there have been occasional periods of inoperability in INEM emergency medical ambulances."
The reason given is "the lack of professionals in the pre-hospital emergency technician category," hiring of more personnel is "underway, but only expected to be concluded at the beginning of 2018."
According to INEM management, the fact that some ambulances are unable to set forth due to a lack of staff, “does not compromise the provision of pre-hospital emergency medical care because the integrated medical emergency system works in a complimentary network."
Despite pre-Christmas assurances from the Minister of Heath that the Algarve’s medical services could cope with whatever was thrown its way, public health services in the Algarve were described as “chaotic” just before New Year’s Eve, with some people waiting over 20 hours to be seen by a doctor or nurse at Faro’s Accident & Emergency department.
The situation was reported by the nurses’ professional body and by the Algarve MP, Cristóvão Norte, who claimed that several health services were working “with half of the necessary resources.”
Norte spotted that several ambulances were moved from health centres in Albufeira, Loulé and Vila Real de Santo António to Faro Hospital - a measure that only is taken when there are not sufficient doctors located at the health centres.
Norte described the situation as “intolerable,” adding that “We have over one million people in the Algarve during the festive period and access to healthcare is more limited than when we have a population of 400,000.”
“It is unthinkable that someone who is described as in ‘very urgent’ need of healthcare has to wait six hours when the patient should not wait longer than 10 minutes. It is the total collapse of these services,” said Norte, an opposition MP.
The Algarve’s hospitals management said that the situation had returned to normal after an “abnormal peak” in the number of patients at Faro’s emergency department.
On the plus side, 162 newly trained doctors have started work at the University Hospital of the Algarve. The interns, have chosen the Algarve hospitals to continue their training and start their careers.
According to the Regional Health Administration of the Algarve, "The trainees were placed in different specialties in the hospitals in Faro and Portimão in order to have the opportunity to contact the different services in the two units and, in this way, to deepen their knowledge in various clinical contexts."
Hugo Nunes, a member of the Hospital Board of Directors, considered that the number of inmates who chose to come to the Algarve “allows us to look to the future in a more optimistic way regarding the possibility of keeping on these young doctors.”
Paulo Morgado, president of the Regional Health Administration of the Algarve, underlined "the regional importance of welcoming these new interns who chose the Algarve to begin their career in medicine or to complement their specific training.”
