Portugal's Medical Association probes cancer patient death and health system flaws

Joaquim Coelho, a 64‑year‑old cancer patient from Mourão receiving treatment in Lisbon, died on 15 July in the emergency department of Hospital do Espírito Santo in Évora after a period of fever. His family filed complaints with the Public Prosecution Office and the Ordem dos Médicos, alleging medical negligence.

The Ordem dos Médicos has opened an investigation into the complaint and, in parallel, is preparing a document with ten to twelve recommendations to correct the newly piloted national access system SINACC. The body warned that the system could unintentionally exclude about 20 % of patients from waiting lists, potentially affecting up to 300 000 individuals, and highlighted broader operational problems such as ambulance queuing, staffing shortages, and monitoring failures.

Separately, the Ordem noted the recent approval of the Maastricht III organ‑donation legislation, which aligns Portugal with international best practice on controlled circulatory‑death donations. These actions reflect a broader effort by the medical association to address both individual cases of alleged negligence and systemic shortcomings in Portugal’s health‑care delivery.