The Algarve Situation Report Wednesday 11th September 2024
– Mike Evans
A very good morning to you all, One item of news this week which caught my eye was the report that across the Country over 1 million people are not registered with a family doctor. In a country of just under 11 million citizens this is quite a big percentage who don’t have the means to consult a doctor on a regular basis when needed. From a personal point of view this subject arose recently when I was looking to renew my personal travel Insurance and one of the clauses that one has to adhere to is that you must have a family doctor in your own country in order to qualify for overseas travel Insurance. I have to admit this was not something I was aware of until very recently.
The Algarve is one area of the country where this lack of family doctors is most prevalent and it is good to see that the government is taking notice of the fact by the announcement of the creation of 20 Type C Family Health Units, by the Minister of Health on Wednesday, five of which will be based in the Algarve and will be managed by individuals or associations, Cristóvão Norte, vice-president of the PSD Parliamentary Group and president of PSD Algarve, points out that “the Algarve is one of the regions with the most users without a family doctor”. For this reason, “these units will mobilise the private and associative sector in order to guarantee faster access to health care and family doctors for many thousands who currently do not have them”, stresses the person in charge.
“The Algarve is a priority for the Government in terms of Health”, he adds. Let’s hope this is the case and these new units will help people access local healthcare more easily.
Now a look at some of the other stories that happened across the region in the past week.
GNR arrests two men for robbery in Albufeira
The GNR ‘s Faro Territorial Command , through the Albufeira Territorial Sub-Detachment, arrested two men aged 25 and 26 for robbery in Albufeira.
“Following a report of a robbery on a public road, the Guard’s officers went to the location where they found that the victim, a 25-year-old man, had been threatened with a bladed weapon, and 50 euros had been stolen from him,” said the GNR.
Following police investigations, the Guard’s military personnel managed to locate and detain the two suspects and recover part of the stolen amount.According to the same police force , the detainees were brought before the Portimão Judicial Court, and were ordered to report weekly to the police station in their area of residence.
The action was supported by military personnel from the Criminal Investigation Unit (NIC) of the Albufeira Territorial Detachment.
Olhão reopens Municipal Swimming Pool Complex
The Olhão Municipal Swimming Pool Complex has now reopened to the public , after being closed in July and August , due to the drought situation affecting the country and, in particular, the Algarve . Those interested in attending the scheduled classes – which return on October 1st – can now also go to the pools to register. The closure period was used to carry out some technical maintenance work, which will allow users to be welcomed in the best possible way. The Municipal Swimming Pools have reopened with normal opening hours, from Monday to Friday, from 7:00 am to 2:30 pm and from 3:30 pm to 9:00 pm; on Saturdays, from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm and closed on Sundays.
PSP detects 125 infractions in TVDE in Lisbon, Porto and Faro
A PSP inspection operation involving drivers and vehicles operating under TVDE regime detected a total of 125 infractions, including 11 for lack of valid insurance for this type of activity.
The operation, called “Safe use of TVDE”, took place on the 5th and 6th of September, having been carried out simultaneously in Lisbon, Porto and Faro, in nearby areas and at local airports.
During this operation, which involved 61 police officers, 437 drivers were checked, and the aforementioned 125 infractions directly related to TVDE activity were detected, in addition to a further 46 infractions recorded by the authorities that participated with the PSP in this operation, namely the Mobility and Transport Authority ( AMT ), the Mobility and Transport Institute (IMT) and the Authority for Working Conditions (ACT). Among the infractions found in TVDE, the PSP states that 11 were for using a vehicle without valid civil liability and personal accident insurance for this type of activity, and 25 cases were also detected without a valid written contract proving the employment relationship with a TVDE operator.
During the operation, an infraction was also detected for providing services outside of an electronic platform, four for driving a vehicle by people not registered on a TVDE platform or without holding a driver ‘s certificate .
In a statement, the PSP also reports three cases of drivers without a valid driving licence for this type of service, four of cars without the mandatory inspection, as well as several situations in which the vehicles were operating without the identification sticker and one for carrying out the TVDE activity without a licence issued by the IMT (i.e. lack of a permit). The PSP states that it will carry out new inspection operations aimed at specific activities, continuing to “pay attention to all risky behaviours of drivers that are more likely to cause road accidents”.
Loulé promotes seminar dedicated to civil protection
The IX Seminar “Civil Protection and the Community”, organised by the Municipal Civil Protection Service of Loulé , will take place throughout the day on October 16th, at the Cineteatro Louletano .
The initiative, within the scope of the International Day for Disaster Reduction, “aims to provide the general public with information on the functioning of structures linked to the sector (national and European), some projects and also the challenges that arise in the face of the impact of climate change that has led to an increase in disaster scenarios”, highlights the municipality.
The opening session, which will be attended by the president of the municipality, Vítor Aleixo, and the Regional Commander of Emergency and Civil Protection, Vítor Vaz Pinto, will take place at 9:30 am.This will be followed by a presentation by Rui Figueira, director of the Municipal Civil Protection Service of Funchal, on the mission of the Municipal Civil Protection Services in the communities. The head of the Municipal Civil Protection Service of Lisbon, Margarida Castro Martins, will speak about the municipal Civil Protection and Relief system during the World Youth Day.
“Municipal Civil Protection, what challenges?” is the motto launched by researcher Duarte Caldeira, while Fernando Carrilho, from the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere, presents tsunami early warning systems.
In the afternoon, from 2:30 pm, João Almeida Silva, from the Directorate-General for Civil Protection and European Humanitarian Aid Operations, will speak about the European Civil Protection mechanism and its evolution towards resCEU.
Green infrastructure and resilience in communities to climate change will be the topic brought to light by José Carlos Ferreira, from Universidade Nova de Lisboa. On behalf of the Loulé Municipal Fire Department, António Moital will talk about a project that has contributed to strengthening community resilience: “Safe Village, Safe People Program”, presenting the study on populations in the municipality of Loulé.
Finally, Francisco Rego, from the Instituto Superior de Agronomia, will give a presentation on the transformation of the landscape and rural fires.
The closing session will be led by the councillor of the municipality of Loulé, Carlos Carmo.
Entry is free but registration is mandatory and can be done until October 6th, at the Loule Council website. .https://www.cm-loule.pt
Woman is helped on Marinha beach after falling
On Tuesday, September 3, members of the “SeaWatch” project helped a 46-year-old Spanish woman who suffered an injury to her lower limb after falling on the access road to Marinha beach, in the municipality of Lagoa , reported the National Maritime Authority (AMN).
According to details provided by AMN in a statement, during a daily patrol action, members of the “SeaWatch” project and lifeguards on duty at the beach assisted the victim until the arrival of the Lagoa Volunteer Firefighters, who later transported her to a hospital unit.
ABC Imaging Lab’s Magnetic Resonance Unit to be opened in Loulé
The Magnetic Resonance Unit at the ABC Imaging Lab, located in Loulé, will be inaugurated on September 27, announced the Algarve Biomedical Center (ABC).
The unit will be operating at the ABC Imaging Lab, located in the East Zone of the Professor Joaquim Vairinhos Municipal Pavilion, in Loulé.
In the morning, at Palácio Gama Lobo, there will be several lectures by experts linked to this new equipment.
Helena Guerreiro will talk about the importance of the Academic Center’s Imaging Unit for the Algarve region, Jorge Brito will talk about the impact of Magnetic Resonance Imaging on the health of the Algarve community and future perspectives in advanced diagnostics, Teresa Correia will address the issue of the status quo and future perspectives of Magnetic Resonance Imaging in scientific research, a representative from Philips will present the technological advances and applications of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, while Carla Baía will talk about the applications of Magnetic Resonance Imaging and the future of the Academic Center in clinical research. The final notes will be written by Daniel Cartucho.
In the afternoon, there will be a guided tour of the Magnetic Resonance Centre, with a reception by local representatives and guests. This will be followed by the official opening, with speeches by the mayors of Loulé (Vítor Aleixo) and ABC (Pedro Caste o Branco). This will be followed by networking at the Loulé Municipal Market.
More than 2,200 doses of drugs seized in the Algarve last week
The GNR seized, in the week of 2 to 8 September, more than 2,200 doses of drugs in the Algarve, as part of actions to prevent and combat violent crime, road inspections, among others.
According to the Guard, in the balance released this Monday, September 9, 1329 doses of heroin stand out among these seizures;481 doses of hashish;395 doses of cocaine; two cannabis plants; five cell phones and a precision scale.
During this period, 55 people were also arrested, including 16 for driving under the influence of alcohol, 16 for drug trafficking and 11 for driving without a legal licence.
In traffic, 528 infractions were detected. The GNR highlights 197 for speeding; 45 for lack of mandatory periodic inspection; 25 for improper use of a mobile phone whilst driving;13 for lack of civil liability insurance;11 due to lack of or incorrect use of seat belts and/or child restraint systems: and ten related to anomalies in the lighting and signalling systems. There were also 110 accidents, which resulted in two serious injuries and 21 minor injuries.
New Campaign on Child seat belts starts this week
The Public Security Police (PSP), the National Republican Guard (GNR) and the National Road Safety Authority (ANSR) today warned of the importance of using safety devices on the roads with the launch of a new campaign.
The “Cinto-me Vivo” campaign will run from this Tuesday and continue until the 16th, and is part of the 2024 National Inspection Plan.
In addition to highlighting the importance of seat belts, the campaign also highlights the need to use an approved and properly adjusted helmet and child seats, which significantly reduce the risk of serious injury or death.
According to the note sent to newsrooms, the campaign will include inspection operations by the GNR and PSP “with special focus on roads and access points with high traffic flow”, as well as awareness-raising actions by the ANSR in mainland Portugal and in the autonomous regions of the Azores and Madeira.
The awareness and inspection calendar includes actions on Tuesday (10:00 am), on the EN114, in Évora; on Wednesday (8:00 am), on Rua Tenente Sanches Miranda, in Beja; on Thursday (8:00 am), on the EN101, in Vila Verde (Braga); on Friday (10:00 am), on Rua Cidade D’Agen, in Santarém; and on the following Monday (7:30 am), on the EN10, in Azeitão.
“In a head-on collision at 50 km/h, a driver weighing 70 kg, without a seatbelt, suffers an impact equivalent to a free fall from a third floor. The use of an approved helmet, properly fastened and adjusted, reduces the risk of death in the event of an accident by 40%. It has also been proven that the correct use of an approved child seat adapted to the child’s weight reduces the risk of death by 50%”, the statement reads.
The campaign is the ninth in a plan of 12 awareness-raising and inspection actions scheduled for this year. The 2024 National Inspection Plan covers the following areas: speed, alcohol, safety accessories, mobile phones and inspection of two-wheeled motor vehicles.
That’s all for this week. Stay Safe.