Chega/Madeira has criticised SESARAM and the Regional Government after one of its regional deputies was refused access to a ward at the Dr João de Almada Hospital.
Speaking outside the hospital, deputy Hugo Nunes said the party had requested the visit in advance to assess the conditions provided for patients transferred from the Dr Nélio Mendonça Hospital, as well as those experienced by healthcare staff.
According to Nunes, the request was submitted approximately two weeks before the planned visit. SESARAM reportedly refused access on the grounds of protecting patients’ privacy.
The deputy argued that a visit could have been arranged without compromising the dignity or privacy of those receiving care. He maintained that elected representatives should be able to scrutinise public services and described the refusal as a serious obstruction of parliamentary oversight.
Nunes said the decision had added to the party’s concerns about conditions on the hospital’s ground floor. He referred to reports that some nurses and healthcare assistants had sought to formally distance themselves from responsibility because they considered the area unsuitable for accommodating the transferred patients.
These claims have not been independently confirmed.
Chega also claimed that blinds and telephone lines had been installed following its earlier complaints but said questions about other conditions on the ward remained unanswered.
Nunes additionally raised concerns about staffing in the hospital kitchen. He said the service should have 14 employees but claimed that only 10 were currently working, despite the addition of approximately 30 beds at the hospital. He argued that this was placing greater pressure on the existing workforce.
The deputy said the purpose of the proposed visit was to determine whether patients were being appropriately accommodated and whether healthcare professionals had suitable working conditions.
SESARAM’s stated reason for refusing access was the need to protect patients’ privacy. No detailed response from the health authority to Chega’s wider allegations was included in the information released about the incident.
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
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