VRSA appeals for new basic emergency service while Lagoa demands more doctors for Parchal and Ferragudo
Mayors in the Algarve took advantage of last month’s visit from major representatives from the Ministry of Health to highlight some of the major national health service (SNS) improvements that are needed in the region.
In Vila Real de Santo António, the local council called for the construction of a new basic emergency service (SUB) due to the current building’s “structural and operational” restrictions.
Says the council, the building simply is not fit to meet the demand of such a vital service.
The local authority adds that the SUB is located in the same facilities as the local health centre, meaning it has no more room to expand despite needing more space for consultations, small surgeries, training, meetings and to improve its mental health services.
These concerns were voiced by local mayor Álvaro Araújo when Secretary of State for Health, Ricardo Mestre, visited the borough on January 23.
“At the moment, VRSA owns a space on the same plot where the health centre is located where a new SUB could be built. Besides, the PDM (municipal plan) allows the construction of a more modern building, with adequate safety and comfort conditions for patients and health professionals,” the mayor said.
The mayor adds that the basic emergency unit serves a population of around 35,000 people in VRSA, Castro Marim and Alcoutim – a number which doubles during the summer months.
Further west in Lagoa, mayor Luís Encarnação told visiting Secretary of State for Health Promotion Margarida Tavares of the need to hire more doctors for the public health units in Ferragudo and Parchal.
The council also calls for the construction of a new family health unit for the populations of Estômbar, Parchal and Ferragudo, with the plan being to have the existing family health unit be used for the populations of Porches, Lagoa and Carvoeiro.
Lagoa also says it wants to be a part of the solution, having offered to carry out the necessary works to expand the health unit in Parchal in order to create the new family health unit.
“It is important to act as soon as possible (…) because many of these buildings have never undergone a single improvement. However, this doesn’t solve the borough’s healthcare problems. We need more doctors to meet the needs of the population,” said Luís Encarnação.
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