Thank you Hospital de Portimão

Dear Editor,
Unfortunately we needed to avail ourselves of the services at Barlavento Hospital in Portimão. And here I would like to add that fortunately we did – what a surprise awaited us after all the bad press the hospital has received.
Our friend Brian suffered a stroke and subsequent heart attack early Saturday evening and whilst the INEM ambulance had to travel from Lagoa to Alvor and the INEM doctor had to be called out, the crew acted speedily and calmly.
I won’t go into details but would like to express a few words of appreciation through your publication:
– Thank you to the doctors and nurses in A&E who acted with compassion, explained what was happening and were always clear and ready to answer questions when Brian was admitted to hospital.
– Thank you to the ICU staff, from the auxiliaries who don’t speak English but greet Brian’s wife Jenny with a hug when she visits him, to the nurses and doctors on that unit who are taking care of Brian and provide that ever-elusive stool for Jenny to sit and spend precious time with him.
– Thank you to the reception staff who handle patients and relatives with efficiency and empathy.
– Thank you to the cleaner who kept the A&E waiting room and toilets spotlessly clean (not an easy feat on a busy Saturday evening in A&E).
– Thank you to security who handled those patients who seemed a little out of control in a competent manner and with understanding.
– And finally thank you to all those hidden behind the scenes who allow the mechanisation of this huge facility to run, perhaps not always smoothly, but with patients and relatives uppermost.
Brian is stable – we don’t know the outcome yet but the care he is receiving cannot be faulted. Thank you Hospital de Portimão.
D.G., Lagoa