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Caroline Blumberg / EPA
This Monday the Autumn-Winter Plan of the Ministry of Health was announced. The document will be reviewed every two months.
The Autumn-Winter Health Plan, released this Monday by the General Directorate of Health (DGS), reveals that the preparation of epidemiological risk maps is already underway, in order to guarantee the “adequacy and proportionality of the measures the real risk of each region or locality ”and the“ rapid implementation ”of the public health measures corresponding to each level of risk.
According to Expresso, the document is based on three pillars: the response to seasonal risk, including covid-19; ensure the response of unsolicited medical care; and a set of specific measures on communication and literacy.
In response to the seasonal risk -which combines influenza with covid-19-, the plan foresees the strengthening of the public health response, especially in outbreak situations and the planning of vaccination against influenza and covid-19, “as soon as the vaccine is available ”.
The seasonal influenza vaccination campaign will be anticipated by the end of September and it should reach more people. This is the case of pregnant women, who join the residents and employees of homes and professionals of the National Health System (SNS).
In addition, the national laboratory testing strategy for SARS-CoV-2 is expected to be tailored to the influenza epidemic and stocks and strategic reserve of medicines, medical devices, personal protective equipment and laboratory tests. One of the big bets is to “consolidate the intervention plan in residential structures for the elderly.”
The General Directorate of Health is also reviewing the definition of suspected case and the criteria for discharge and end of isolation, since the management of suspected cases of covid-19 “involves the upstream management of all suspected cases of acute respiratory infection, whose differential diagnosis includes, among others, SARS infection. -CoV-2, for influenza virus and respiratory syncytial virus ”.
HE use of mask It is still mandatory for people over 10 years of age “in closed public spaces”, but its use is recommended “in any open or closed space provided that the minimum physical distance of two meters is not guaranteed.”
In the name of environmental sustainability and to avoid the shortage of surgical masks in health units, the plan encourages the use of certified community masks.
Patients without covid
The plan foresees the creation of a workgroup, made up of elements from each Regional Health Administration and which will depend on the Ministry of Health, which is based on a “commitment to maximized response in primary health care, with face-to-face, non-face-to-face and home care, as well as responses from proximity, including the dispensing of medicines ”.
The structure will define “user selection criteria whose monitoring can be guaranteed, at least partially, by teleconsultation me telemonitoring“.
In addition, the document provides for the definition of covid-19 free hospital units, to avoid “the degradation of access in situations of significant epidemic growth” and to continue the expansion of home hospitalization.
There is also a change in the organization of hospitals, as the Areas Dedicated to Covid-19 will become Areas Dedicated to Respiratory Patients, receiving not only covid-19 patients but also users with other respiratory diseases.
The document also foresees the use of quick tests, with results in less than 60 minutes and others with results available in 24 hours, in addition to tests of greater scientific validity to ensure a faster approach to a suspected case.
The plan is late and fails in “operational management”
Alexandre Lourenço, president of the Portuguese Association of Hospital Administrators, considers that the document “should have been presented in JuneAnd that the end of September “is a moment of decision and implementation.”
Despite being “interesting” and deserving a positive note regarding the creation of covid and non-covid networks and epidemiological risk maps,lack of operational management“.
“It does not say what resources will be affected and what areas will be dedicated to covid, from what levels the free covid units will be activated or how many beds they will have,” he reacted, in statements to Public.
The president of the Order of Doctors (OM), Miguel Guimarães, also aspired to a “more objective” plan. “It does not say that hospitals will be free of covid, if it is possible to do it only with the NHS or if there will be support from the social and private sector. What unique plan will you have for the recovery of patients? “
The official, however, applauds the measure that provides for the rear of hospitals, especially in metropolitan areas, and admits that rapid tests “are very important to break the transmission chains.”
Rui Nogueira, president of the Portuguese Association of General and Family Medicine, gives a positive note to plan review every two months, but consider that the document could have been submitted longer. Likewise, Diogo Urjais, from the National Association of Family Health Units, mentions the need for this update.
