Almada's 24-Hour Maternity Ward Resumes Service Amid Uncertainty

Anyone planning to give birth south of the Tagus woke up this week to cautiously good news: the obstetrics and gynecology emergency ward at Almada’s Hospital Garcia de Orta is running again around the clock. The reopening, confirmed at 08:30 on Monday, offers welcome—but fragile—relief after a weekend in which pregnant women were diverted across the bridge into already-packed Lisbon units.

What just happened in Almada?

The ward’s doors slammed shut without warning on Saturday when no médicos tarefeiros—the short-term doctors who regularly plug staffing gaps—showed up for the night shift. On Sunday the hospital operated in modo condicionado, accepting only cases pre-approved by the national emergency dispatcher. By dawn Monday, enough clinicians had signed on to revive full service, at least until 23 September, according to the official live schedule on the Serviço Nacional de Saúde portal.

Why did the lights go out?

Hospital managers insist the crisis was “exceptional,” yet local user groups say it was painfully predictable. Seven resident obstetricians quit between April and July, frustrated by marathon shifts and what they describe as stagnant pay scales. The Health Ministry promised to replace them with seven freshly recruited specialists in early September, but only four contracts were sealed. That left the hospital leaning harder than ever on freelancers who can legally refuse inconvenient hours. When several did exactly that last weekend, the obstetric theatre went dark.

The domino effect across Lisbon’s maternity network

Every closure on the Setúbal Peninsula ricochets through the wider region because referral rules automatically redirect labouring women to the capital. During the 48-hour shutdown at Garcia de Orta, at least five expectant mothers were transported to Amadora-Sintra, Loures and the historic Maternidade Alfredo da Costa—units that were already grappling with summer overcrowding. Health officials say ambulance deliveries in Greater Lisbon have reached 57 so far this year, surpassing the whole of 2024, in part because of these sudden south-bank stoppages.

What foreigners need to know before heading to the delivery ward

If you are insured privately you may bypass the public system, but many expatriate residents rely on the SNS. Since December last year, the South-Bank maternity network has operated under a projeto-piloto that requires would-be patients to call SNS 24 (808 24 24 24) before driving to hospital. The helpline assigns a facility based on real-time capacity, so ignoring the phone step can send you back on the road. Keep copies of residency papers and the European Health Insurance Card—or Portuguese utente number—within reach; staff report frequent delays when foreign nationals arrive without documentation.

Voices from the front line

Doctors’ unions accuse the government of “normalising the collapse” of obstetric services by relying on emergency rotas and piecemeal incentives. The Independent Doctors’ Union warns that the present arrangement heightens the risk of clinical error, while the Order of Doctors condemns any forced redeployment of clinicians from neighbouring hospitals as "absolutely lamentável." Nurses echo the alarm: many filed formal declarations of limited liability back in 2022 and say conditions have not improved despite a 40 % pay bonus for so-called hard-to-fill posts.

A regional fix—or another patch?

Lisbon’s Health Minister told parliament on Wednesday that Garcia de Orta will become the sole 24/7 obstetric hub for the peninsula until a €128 M maternal-and-child centre opens on the same campus in 2026. The plan also hints at merging on-call teams with Barreiro and Setúbal hospitals under a future “metropolitan urgency” model. In parallel, draft legislation aims to curb the leverage of high-paid freelancing doctors and lure specialists back into full-time public posts with better career ladders and family support allowances.

Bottom line for expectant expats

For now, the Almada ward is open and functioning, but all official timetables carry an asterisk: staffing remains day-to-day. If you are in your third trimester and living anywhere between Caparica and Sesimbra, keep your phone charged, save the SNS 24 number, and ask your obstetrician to brief you on alternative hospitals east of the river. Portugal’s public maternity care is generally safe and high-quality—but, as last weekend reminded everyone, availability can change overnight.