The Chega party submitted a request to the Assembly of the Republic addressed to the Minister of Health, Ana Paula Martins, questioning the Hematology response in the Baixo Alentejo and Algarve regions. The document, signed by several party deputies, including António Carneiro, elected for the Beja constituency, alerts to a "worrying insufficiency of hematologist doctors" in these regions.
According to Chega, there are only two female hematologist doctors ensuring the response in Beja and Portimão, both on a service provision basis. The party criticizes that a "highly differentiating specialty" should not be "based exclusively" on this type of contractual arrangement, arguing that this "prevents the existence of stable teams and continuity of care with quality and safety". The deputies also question the non-assignment of disadvantaged positions for these regions.
The Southern Zone Medical Union warned on Monday that a single hematologist doctor was ensuring the service in Algarve and Baixo Alentejo, without an employment contract and subject to overload. ULS Algarve, led by Tiago Botelho, rejected this accusation, indicating that there are four hematologists on a service provision basis, although none are linked by an individual employment contract. ULS Algarve requested from the Ministry of Health the transfer of two disadvantaged positions from other specialties to Hematology.
Beja Hospital currently has one specialist from Algarve and is negotiating more consultation hours with the same doctor. ULSBA is also working on a protocol with other institutions, such as IPO de Lisboa, for coordination in Hematology, and will again request from the Ministry of Health the assignment of disadvantaged positions for this and other specialties.
