Researchers from the Natioanl Health Observatory say that reforms are far from being fully in place, and have questioned the level of importance health has for the Government.
The report also found that Portugal’s hospital infection rate was almost double that of the EU, while also criticising the high number of Caesarians in Portugal, which stands at 60 percent in private hospitals. Following this report, the Portuguese Health Minister defended the government’s performance, saying that it was impossible to expect all problems to be solved in the space of just two years of governance.
Adalberto Campos Fernandes said that it would be more accurate to compare the current state of the health system with the one back in 2012.
“Imagine how it was back then. We had 8,000 fewer health workers, 700 million euros less in funding”, the Health Minister explained, adding: “We would love to fix all the problems created over eight or nine years in the space of just two, but that is not possible.”