New case of pregnant woman who lost her baby is a "breaking point"

The National Federation of Doctors considered unacceptable this Friday the new case of the pregnant woman who lost her baby after being taken to a hospital more than an hour away and said that it marks “a breaking point”.

Speaking to Lusa, the president of the National Federation of Doctors (FNAM), Joana Bordalo e Sá, demanded an “immediate change” in health policy and held the Government responsible for the current situation of obstetric emergencies.

“We demand that there be an immediate change in health policy, a change that restores dignity, security and humanity to the NHS, because what happened is intolerable and we cannot, in conscience, allow it to happen again,” he said.

According to RTP , the 31-week pregnant woman called the Saúde 24 line, without success, and ended up calling 112, which called the Barreiro fire department. She ended up being transported to Cascais because the emergency rooms at Hospital S. Bernardo and Setúbal, which should have been open, closed due to overcrowding.

This case is not an accident, it is a direct consequence of the policies that are being implemented by this Ministry of Health, led by Ana Paula Martins, and, therefore, we hold it directly responsible for this tragedy”, said Joana Bordalo e Sá.

He called for an urgent reinforcement of emergency services with more doctors, with career development, to avoid continuing to “put out fires”. “If there was a prospect of being able to recover doctors for the National Health Service in an emergency way, that is what should be done”, he added.

Joana Bordalo e Sá argued that it is possible to hire doctors quickly and more quickly, but stressed: “for that to happen, political will is needed”. This was the second case reported this week of a pregnant woman who lost her baby after seeking an emergency response.

As reported on Sunday by Correio da Manhã , on June 10, another pregnant woman was referred by SNS24 to the gynecology and obstetrics emergency department at Setúbal Hospital , where they were assured that the baby was fine.

Six days later, the 37-year-old pregnant woman felt pain again and was treated at the Barreiro Hospital, in the district of Setúbal, where she was told to go home.

She felt unwell again three days later and went to the Garcia de Orta Hospital in Almada (Setúbal), where no problems were detected. After 48 hours, the SNS 24 Line referred the woman to the Cascais Hospital, where she was told there was no space available for admission.

Refusing to return home, the woman was taken by ambulance to ULS Santa Maria, where an emergency caesarean section was performed. The newborn was born weighing 4.5 kilograms, with a weak heartbeat and signs of fetal distress. The baby, despite resuscitation efforts, did not survive.

In this case, the Executive Directorate of the National Health Service guaranteed at the beginning of the week that the pregnant woman, 40 weeks along, “will have been assessed in a timely manner”.

In a statement, the Executive Directorate of the National Health Service explained that in all hospitals where she was observed, the pregnant woman was assessed in a timely manner by qualified health professionals, underwent the examinations and assessments considered necessary and received the guidance considered appropriate.

He also considered that the response provided was “congruent with the referral and access protocols in force, ensuring continuity of care throughout the user’s journey within the National Health Service”.

The General Inspectorate of Health Activities said that it was monitoring the assessment of the five hospitals involved in the assistance provided to the pregnant woman, adding that the hospital units “are assessing the situation, within the scope of the powers of their respective management bodies”.