Portuguese Public Heath Service TAKE CARE

[newchappers]

On 3rd September the worst happened when my father was taken seriously ill and airlifted from a cruise ship to Lisbon where he is in ICU .

he is fully covered on his insurance but was taken to a public hospital.

I'm not going to slag any specific hospital (am leaving The Mail On Line and Social media to do that. But in short we have been pretty much denied access to my father and information about his condition has been withheld. The insurers are ready to medivac my dad back to the UK but the hospital aren't communicating with them. Apparently this is the norm for a Portuguese public hospital.

I'd urge people going ashore in Portugal to take great care to avoid accident or injury . You don't want to experience the health service.

I'll still cruise but will not get off the ship in a Portuguese Port ever again

[Keel Haul]

I hope he is at home and well?

[UKBayern]

I understand you are in shock and want to vent, and that you went through a stressful time, but obviously there is a language and culture barrier with the doctors. There are many countries in Europe where family is not allowed to see the patient (for example Spain and Portugal), and in other European countries it is the reverse, families even have to wash the patient, clean his room and provide his food (for example in Greece and Turkey). In Germany, patients have to bring their own towels to hospital, after an operation the next of kin are never informed if the operation went ok, if you are not married the life-long partner is categorically withheld all information, and some hospitals do not have visiting hours or discourage all visitors. All very strange to us foreigners....

 

According to rankings by the World Health Organisation, the Portuguese public health system is ranked as the 9th best in Europe and 12th in the World, so your statement "you don't want to experience the Portuguese health system" seems slightly over the top. The study does suggest that patients are discharged from Portugese hospitals at a later stage than they would be in other countries, and this is obviously also contributing to your frustration. Are you sure the insurance is giving you the truth and nothing but the truth? Keep in mind that the NHS is free for British residents, and the Portuguese hospital ICU is costing the insurance serious money, so of course they want you father in the UK a.s.a.p.

 

You admit yourself that your relative was airlifted from a cruise ship, and did not exactly have a say in the matter to which country, to which hospital, he was airlifted. The statement "I'll still cruise but will not get off the ship in a Portuguese port ever again" seems a bit strange considering the described situation, since it can be necessary to get airlifted from a cruise ship even if you did not set a foot on land there. And not many hospitals abroad are going to have helipads, so of course your father was not taken to a small private clinic but to one of the few larger public hospitals in Lisbon with helipad and ICU.

 

I hope your father is safe and well, or that you were able to organize things the way you wanted them. Although I understand your frustration, your post is like saying "do not ever eat in a restaurant in country x". It is too broad and general, it is only based on one experience, and does not do justice to the hundreds of lovely restaurants in country x.

[plane2port]

OP, I'm glad you are posting your experience here. I hope your father is better now and resting in the UK.

 

Please give us updates on your experience there in Portugal.

[GJP_GJP]

I'm a Portuguese and use a private Heath Service

 

i Supose you have a travel secure.

use that ;)

[Keith1010]

Sorry to hear what happened.

Keith