After intense criticism over the closure of emergency services leading to the death of a 34-year-old pregnant Indian tourist due to cardiac arrest while being transferred to another hospital in Lisbon, Portugal’s Health Minister Dr Marta Temido quit of her continuing services on Tuesday, August 30, 2022, which she was attending at the ministry since October 2018.
According to sources, the lady was being shifted to another hospital due to the non-availability of a bed and lack of doctors in the current hospital. The sources also said that the minister was criticised and backfired on her decision to temporarily suspend emergency obstetric care and forced the staff to take the patient through risky transport between the hospitals.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Antonio Costa while sharing a tweet, wrote, “He was ‘grateful’ for all the work done by Temido, especially in combating the Covid pandemic. Costa also promised to continue with reforms to strengthen the healthcare system.”
He added, “The government would push ahead with reforms to strengthen the national health service,” but provided no clue regarding Temido’s replacement.
The sources explained – “The Indian woman was 31-week pregnant and taken to Hospital Santa Maria in Lisbon, one of the largest healthcare facilities across the country, after complaining of shortness of breath.
After her condition was stabilised, the hospital transferred her to the Sao Francisco Xavier hospital as its neo-natal department was occupied. She went into cardiac arrest on the way, the sources added.
An investigation into the woman’s death was initiated, the sources said.
Earlier this month, it was reported that many distraught citizens along with hospital staff members held heavy demonstrations against the health minister citing the poor, extreme and fatigued conditions across the hospitals.
The 48-year-old Marta Temido became the Health Minister in October 2018 and was considered the most popular government member in 2021 for successfully organising the COVID-19 vaccination campaigns according to opinion polls.
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