World Health Day, celebrated this Thursday, April 7, is marked in coastal Alentejo by the demand for more and better access to health, in a territory of long distances and with an aging population.
The Commission of Users of Public Services (CUSP) of the municipality of Grândola, takes advantage of the day to collect signatures for a petition that is already underway in the locality of Canal-Caveira (Grândola), for the improvement of the functioning of the Health Extension of that place, which began operating in 1983.
With regular medical consultations, the post guaranteed access to health care for the population of this locality “which is seven kilometers from the parish headquarters, with a mostly elderly population and a poor public transport network”, reads the document to which The Renaissance had access.
“Due to economic policies”, says the undersigned, the space ended up being closed in 2009, which led the population to demand its reopening, as well as that of the Permanent Care Service of the Grândola Health Center, for 24 hours. hours.
In 2016, the Canal Caveira Health Extension was reopened, with the commitment of the board of directors of the Local Health Unit of the Alentejo Coast “to ensure that a doctor travels, once a week, to carry out consultations in that extension” , what did not happen.
“At the moment, this health unit is not operating regularly, sometimes being more than a month without the visit of health professionals”, it can be read.
Users of Canal Caveira return to load, on this World Health Day and demand, in addition to the reopening, at the county seat, of the Permanent Support Service for 24 hours, also “the reopening of the Medical Center of Canal Caveira”, as well as “consultations at least weekly, with the presence of a nurse and a technical assistant.
Odemira asks for more doctors and nurses
The Public Services Users Commission (CUSP) of the municipality of Odemira will also mark the anniversary, with a distribution of documents, but on April 9, from 9:00 am at the Levante das Brunheiras Market, in Vila Nova de Milfontes.
This document serves, according to CUSP, “to remind users of the importance of the National Health Service, that the Government/Ministry of Health should value health professionals by hiring more human resources, career progression and salary increases, but also investing in new health units”.
Users demand more health professionals and better conditions in the various health units in the Alentejo coast region, namely the “coverage of the population with a doctor and family nurse, the reinforcement of consultations and nursing services in the various health extensions”, as well as such as the “reopening of the Luzianes-Gare extension and the construction of new ones in Sabóia, São Luís and Vila Nova de Milfontes”.
On the other hand, it is also required, among other measures, the “expansion of the Odemira Health Center, the use of its heliport, compliance with the maximum guaranteed response times in consultations and surgeries, as well as the urgent hiring of health professionals”. missing from the Local Health Unit of the Alentejo Coast”.