Attack on the Portuguese NHS
by Mario Barrela
Last Saturday I went to photograph the demonstration in defence of the SNS (national health service), which of course was joined by the teachers, etc.
In this particular case, we (the Portuguese) are increasingly feeling
The attack on something we hold dear. Along with education and culture, I think these are the most important things that a modern, civilised society should have.
Over time, we have seen the NHS deteriorate. With the ageing and relocation of doctors and nurses, we have around 1.7 million users without a family doctor, an increase of 30 per cent compared to 2022. But that's not all, we have obstetrics wards in hospitals closed with mothers-to-be having to travel many kilometres, long queues of patients waiting for operations, hours and hours of waiting in public hospitals, doctors and nurses pressured to work overtime, etc.
We pay into the social security system throughout our lives, until someone says: It's better to have health insurance so you can go to private hospitals. Then what?
Pensioners with all the illnesses that come with a lifetime of work, lacking money or health insurance, go to health centres at dawn, uncertain whether they'll be able to get appointments... So!?!?
But the demonstrations won't stop there, education is on the rise too and at the rate interest rates and inflation are rising, you'll be hearing more from me about my beloved Portugal.
