Medical institution to expand its medical staff
The city council's ambitious project, the new Sintra Hospital, has officially opened its doors this month, marking a significant milestone in the region's healthcare infrastructure. Located in Casal da Cavaleira, the hospital boasts a covered area of 10,500 square meters and an uncovered area of 49,000 square meters, making it a substantial addition to the local healthcare system.
The ULS, which includes the Fernando Fonseca Hospital and the new Sintra Hospital, is now operational. However, the new hospital has yet to recruit clinicians for its emergency room, causing some concerns about its immediate impact on Amadora-Sintra's teams and the Fernando Fonseca Hospital.
The main problem with the emergency room at Amadora-Sintra has been the inability to "drain patients" from the emergency rooms to the wards. The new Sintra Hospital, with its emergency services supported by doctors from Fernando Fonseca, is expected to alleviate this pressure, as it has already started to relieve pressure on the emergency department at Fernando Fonseca Hospital.
The new Sintra Hospital is designed to serve approximately 550,000 patients and offers a range of services including outpatient services, outpatient consultations and exams, a mental health unit, physical rehabilitation medicine, a collection centre, complementary diagnostic and therapeutic resources, an outpatient surgery unit with a surgical suite and recovery room.
The construction of the new Sintra Hospital took approximately four years and represents an investment of approximately R$81 million, including construction and equipment acquisition. The hospital's basic emergency department currently experiences a higher volume of patients than the Mem-Martins unit, with 130 to 150 patients daily compared to 90 to 100 at Mem-Martins.
Despite the positive contributions of the new Sintra Hospital, the Southern Zone Doctors' Union (SMZS) has warned that the emergency room at the new Sintra Hospital is operating "at the expense" of Amadora-Sintra's teams. The SMZS statement also mentions that Fernando Fonseca Hospital, which already had severely understaffed staff, is facing further challenges as doctors are being pulled to the emergency room at Sintra Hospital.
The new Sintra Hospital opened without clinicians recruited for its emergency room, causing initial concerns about the impact on Amadora-Sintra's teams and Fernando Fonseca Hospital. However, professionals have been hired for these two health units since January of this year, with 63 new doctors at the ULS hospitals, and 31 new doctors for primary care.
The Fernando Fonseca Hospital was quickly realized to be undersized for the 600,000 people in the municipalities when it opened, and it has been "completely overwhelmed" for about 30 years, according to Luís Duarte Costa. The hope is that the installed capacity at Sintra Hospital will gradually alleviate this issue, ensuring better healthcare services for the residents of Sintra and the surrounding areas.
The new Sintra Hospital, operational since this month, is expected to provide medical-condition care for approximately 550,000 patients in the region. Despite concerns about its immediate impact on Amadora-Sintra's teams and the Fernando Fonseca Hospital, the hospital offers various health-and-wellness services such as outpatient services, mental health units, and physical rehabilitation medicine. Recently, Portugal's Southern Zone Doctors' Union raised concerns about the emergency room at the new Sintra Hospital, stating it is operating "at the expense" of Amadora-Sintra's teams, further challenging the already understaffed Fernando Fonseca Hospital.
