The National Federation of Doctors (FNAM) and the Independent Doctors Union (SIM), which requested the meeting on Tuesday, 31 March, say in a joint statement that they “note with concern the rapid increase in the incidence of the disease and the deaths, as well as the number of doctors infected by the SARS-Cov-2 virus”.

Union structures warn that many of the infected doctors are in need of intensive care and long treatments.

For FNAM and SIM, “the protection of health professionals must be a priority” in the fight against the pandemic, to avoid contagion to patients and other health professionals.

However, they warn, "the multiple reports of the lack of adequate personal protective equipment are extremely worrying".

“The example of other countries shows us how the lack of rigor in the measures to protect health professionals has serious consequences for the health of themselves, their patients and the population in general”, they stress.

For the unions, “the continued increase in positive cases in Portugal, reinforces the need for an organization of medical work that optimizes assistance to the population, but also protects doctors from exhaustion and abuse”.

"As representatives of doctors and their labour rights, medical unions request an urgent meeting on this problem", which could be in the form of a videoconference, they refer in the statement.

According to data released by the Government on Monday, 30 March, there are 853 professionals infected by the new coronavirus, of which 209 are doctors and 177 nurses.