The Juntos Pelo Povo (JPP) party has denounced the alleged systematic non-compliance with user rights within Madeira's Regional Health Service. The party points to worsening waiting lists and a lack of oversight regarding the fulfillment of guaranteed maximum response times.
During a press conference, JPP Parliamentary Group vice-president Lina Pereira announced that the party will submit formal questions to the Regional Government, SESARAM, and IASAÚDE. The aim is to ascertain what responses are provided to users when legally established deadlines are exceeded.
Lina Pereira criticized the lack of clarification from the Regional Secretary of Health and noted that the latest data reveals the highest number of users on waiting lists in the last ten years, exceeding 146,000 individuals referred for surgeries, consultations, or specialist exams.
The JPP expressed regret that, despite regulations in effect since 2023, clinical parameters are only defined for programmed surgeries and initial hospital consultations, with various care areas remaining unregulated. The party cited examples of specialties like Gynecology and Ophthalmology with average waiting times close to one hundred days, and Orthopedics and Urology for priority surgeries with average times around eighty days, far exceeding the legal limits of seven and fifteen days, respectively.
