Pregnant Indian tourist dies in Portugal, health minister quits

PORTUGAL’S HEALTH Minister Marta Temido resigned on Tuesday, hours after the death of a 34-year-old pregnant Indian tourist who suffered a cardiac arrest while being transferred from one hospital to another in Lisbon due to non-availability of a bed, according to local media reports.

Jornal de Noticias reported that Temido’s resignation came after intense criticism over closure of emergency care services, lack of doctors in hospitals, and cases of pregnant women who suffered complications due to the inability of the national health service to respond.

Portugal’s Prime Minister Antonio Costa posted on Twitter that he was “grateful” for all the work done by Temido, especially in combating the Covid pandemic. Costa also promised to continue with reforms to strengthen the healthcare system.

According to local media reports, the Indian woman was 31 weeks pregnant and taken to the Santa Maria Hospital, which is one of the country’s largest healthcare facilities, after complaining of shortness of breath.

The reports said that after her condition was stabilised, the hospital transferred her to the Sao Francisco Xavier hospital as its neonatal department was full. She went into cardiac arrest on the way, the reports said.

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At the second hospital, she underwent a C-section and the newborn was admitted to the neonatal care unit while she died, the reports said. An investigation into the woman’s death was launched, the BBC reported.

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