A public petition had already gathered 2,346 signatures against the possibility of reducing the consultation hours of medical oncologist Rui Dinis at Hospital Dr. José Maria Grande, in Portalegre. The initiative, launched on September 3rd and addressed to the Board of Directors of the Local Health Unit of Alto Alentejo (ULSAALE), defends the maintenance of the capacity to monitor cancer patients and demands transparency and dialogue with the community before any change to the organization of the service. Rui Dinis has been working in Portalegre for about 16 years and the close relationship with patients is highlighted by the patients themselves and their families.
The subscribers warn that a possible reduction in care activity could result in increased waiting times, loss of continuity for patients already under follow-up, and a possible risk of non-compliance with the maximum guaranteed response times, particularly within the scope of the Oncological Green Pathway. The petitioners emphasize that the Alto Alentejo is an inland region where many patients already face significant travel to access specialized care, so any reduction in local capacity may worsen inequalities in access to health.
The protest has gone beyond the universe of patients and reached the political sphere, with the Socialist Party at district level expressing concern and different parties bringing the matter to the Assembly of the Republic. Faced with the protest, ULSAALE rejected the existence of cuts, stating that no reduction in care provision is planned for the Oncology Unit and that measures to reinforce and develop the service are underway, including differentiated human resources and improvements to infrastructure.
The petition presents four main demands to ULSAALE: not to reduce Dr. Rui Dinis's consultation hours, to maintain and reinforce oncology care capacity, to guarantee transparency and dialogue with the community whenever changes to the organization of health care are at stake, and to provide a written and substantiated response from the administration within 30 days. The reorganization of Portalegre's Oncology department remains under the watchful eye of patients, families, health professionals and political forces in the region.
