Healthcare concerns rise in Alentejo region of Portugal

The medical community and patient advocacy groups are raising alarms regarding healthcare services in the Alentejo region of Portugal.

The Ordem dos Médicos (Évora Sub-region) has issued a warning regarding a critical shortage of human resources in the Orthopedics Department at the Hospital do Espírito Santo de Évora (HESE). The institution reported that the department currently operates with only two doctors, a situation described as “manifestly insufficient” for the needs of Central Alentejo. While emergency responses are currently maintained, the Ordem dos Médicos noted a heavy reliance on temporary external doctors and highlighted that the department has lost its training accreditation this year.

Separately, the movement ‘Valorizar Quem Cuida’, composed of oncology patients and their families, has launched a petition calling for the resignation of the Board of Directors of the Unidade Local de Saúde do Alto Alentejo (ULSAALE). The petition, which has gathered over 400 signatures, cites a “manifest loss of confidence” following issues with the reorganization of oncology services in Portalegre and the perceived failure to uphold previous commitments regarding specialist availability.