Surgeries scheduled for extra hours are being cancelled at several hospitals in Portugal. Since July, several health facilities have reduced or suspended doctors' additional work.
The cause is related to cuts in the payments that doctors receive for extra hours worked in the operating room. Doctors in some specialties are now receiving lower amounts than they previously did for these services.
The executive director of the National Health Service acknowledges the changes in payments, but guarantees that patients will not be harmed by the situation.
The conflict arises in the context of financial difficulties in Portugal's health sector, where the management of human resources and medical personnel costs continues to represent a challenge for health authorities.
