Female Immigrants Denied Hospital Services

The Observatory of Obstetric Violence (OVO PT), has denounced cases where immigrant women have been refused care by healthcare professionals, in addition, to the installation of security guards at many of the mainland health centres. 

In a statement, the organisation says that pregnant women have reported that they have been physically prevented from accessing the service desk, are unable to register, and are without proper maternity care.  

The OVO PT believes that such impediments are motivated by the bills approved in December in parliament regarding the access of foreigners to the National Health Service (SNS), which were sent to the Health Commission and are not yet in force.

In the statement, the organisation expresses “deep concern” regarding access to the NHS, specifically gynaecological and obstetric services, which involve the surveillance of pregnancy, childbirth, voluntary termination of pregnancy, and family planning, by immigrant (foreign) women in Portugal, regardless of whether they are in a regular or irregular/resident and irregular/non-resident situation.

It warns that the bills, if approved as they were written in December and come into force “will exclude immigrants whose permanent residence has expired, leaving many residents without health care.”

One of the proposals (from the PSD and the CDS-PP) proposes that foreigners in an irregular situation and non-residents have to present proof of health care coverage and all documentation considered necessary by the NHS, except in cases of urgency, where the documentation may be presented afterwards. 

The two Chega initiatives, provide that foreigners, stateless persons and migrants without a legal situation, as well as applicants for international protection whose request has not yet been granted, will have to pay to access the NHS, except in emergencies.

Another initiative determines that non-resident foreign citizens should pay a user fee or the full costs of medical care, including emergency cases. 

The organisation recalls that “everyone has access to the NHS” and cites the Basic Health Law and Decree-Law No. 52/2022, recalling that, in addition to Portuguese citizens, nationals of European Union Member States or equivalent, third-country nationals or stateless persons can also access the NHS, either as permanent residents or in a situation of stay, such as vacation, or temporary residence in Portugal.

“Also foreign persons applying for international protection – as well as their families – and migrants with or without their legal status, under the terms of the applicable legal regime, have the right to access the NHS,” OCO PT insists.

OVO PT states that although Portugal is above the EU average for GDP growth, this is only possible due to migrant workers who have chosen Portugal as their new home.”

The organisation considers that the complaints received report situations of violation of the law and that the lack of sanctions undermines the seriousness of the Portuguese legal system and expresses the greatest concern with the negative impact that the bills may have on public health if they are approved, as well as on the integration of migrants into Portuguese society”.

Unequivocally, the bills represent “a clear discrimination in access to health, violating the principles of equality and universal access to health, increasing the risk of maternal and infant mortality for foreign/immigrant populations.”

This would also account for why a friend of mine who applied to the Institute of Social Security for a Social Security number and Utente (medical number), was told that there were too many immigrants living in Madeira, and as she was retired, she would have no chance of obtaining a social security or Utente number, and that she would have to take out private medical insurance.

Samantha Gannon

info at madeira-weekly.com