José Manuel Bolieiro stresses that the fire should be regarded as opportunity to make HDES a "reference" unit in the country - Communication

Presidência do Governo Regional

The President of the Regional Government, José Manuel Bolieiro, accompanied by the Regional Secretary for Health and Social Security, Mónica Seidi, visited today the Urgent Care Service of the Ponta Delgada Health Centre and the site where work is underway to install the modular hospital.

During the visit to the Urgent Care Service at the Ponta Delgada Health Centre, the government officials congratulated the exemplary work carried out by all health professionals and the effective response they have provided to patients following the recent fire that broke out at the Divino Espírito Santo Hospital (HDES).

"I would like to express my heartfelt thanks for the effort made by everyone. I am the first to acknowledge how exhausted everyone is. I know their concern for the patients has meant that all the professionals have not even thought about rest," said José Manuel Bolieiro.

While visiting the site where the first earthworks are taking place at the HDES heliport for the installation of the modular hospital, which is expected to be operational by late August, the President of the Government took the opportunity to point out that the aim is to "harness this opportunity to build capacity and make HDES a leading hospital in the country."

The President of the Government pointed out that the planned work must be carried out on the basis that "everything must be done for the sake of safety, nothing rushed."

The services to be installed include an emergency department, inpatient services, an operating theatre and an intensive care unit. The first works are expected to be completed in July, allowing the modular hospital to be built at a cost of around two million Euros in this first phase of the project.

"The modular project has been made with the priority of addressing what is most urgent and essential in the limited capacity of the hospital," emphasised José Manuel Bolieiro.

At the end of June, the east wing of HDES will be reopened, with inpatient units containing about 180 beds, which will accommodate the patients and inpatient facilities currently installed at the Portuguese Red Cross Unit. 

José Manuel Bolieiro highlighted "the capacity" available "to keep health care and hospital care functioning in their essentials" with the Regional Health Service (SRS) and the São Miguel Island Health Unit (USISM).

The President of the Government also urged residents and visitors to the island to always go first to Health Centres and call helplines.

All clinical activity at HDES remains suspended, except for a few services: the Oncology and Haemodialysis outpatient hospitals have resumed their patient care activity, the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation service, as well as Psychiatry and Pulmonology, have already resumed their care activity, all the outpatient specialities (outpatient consultations) have resumed their scheduled activity, except Paediatrics, which continues with limitations and to operate outside the HDES building, at USISM, and the Imaging service resumed its activity on June 11.

The entire building already has electricity with the necessary redundancies through the installation of several transformer stations.