The Algarve Situation Report Wedneday 26th July 2023
by Mike Evans
With the holiday Season in full swing across the Algarve and the beaches full of excited families from around the world, yesterday 25/7,was Drowning Prevention Day across the world.
Drowning has caused over 2.5 million deaths in the last decade. The overwhelming majority of these deaths (90%) happen in low- and middle-income countries. Globally, the highest drowning rates occur among children aged 1–4 years, followed by children aged 5–9 years.
The human, social and economic toll of these losses is intolerably high, and entirely preventable.
In 2023, the 76th World Health Assembly adopted its first ever resolution on drowning prevention. The resolution accepts the invitation of the United Nations General Assembly for WHO to coordinate actions within the UN system on drowning prevention and facilitate the observance of World Drowning Prevention Day on 25 July each year.
To mark this year’s World Drowning Prevention Day, PAHO will continue to focus on raising awareness on drowning as a public health issue, reminding people that anyone can drown, but no one should. We are also raising awareness on the six evidence-based, low-cost drowning prevention interventions that countries and organisations can use to drastically reduce the risk of drowning.
Most of these deaths are preventable, through evidence-based, low-cost solutions, such as:
installing barriers controlling access to water, providing safe places away from water such as crèches for preschool children with capable childcare, teaching swimming, water safety, and safe rescue skills, training bystanders in safe rescue and resuscitation settings and enforcing safe boating, shipping, and ferry regulations, improving flood risk management.
In 2022 there were a record number of deaths by drowning along the coasts of Portugal so this year we should all remember the advice and keep an eye out for people in the sea that are in distress. Recently I saw this first hand at a beach in the west of the Algarve, where by the way the temperature of the water is a lot cooler than in the eastern part, when a person on a paddle board got into difficulties due to the onshore wind blowing him out to sea and not having the strength to get back to shore. Luckily a motor launch was on hand after the alarm was raised and the person was rescued none the worse for his ordeal.
Now to look at some of the other news from across the Algarve,:
Doctors’ strike causes postponement of surgeries and consultations in the region
Postponed surgeries and outpatient consultations in hospitals in the Algarve and constraints in primary health care units are consequences of the strike called by the Independent Doctors Union ( SIM ) which began this Tuesday, advanced a union source.
SIM’s Algarve regional secretary, João Dias, said that adherence to the strike is “quite high”, around 93.5% and reflected, above all, in the postponement of external consultations and non-urgent surgeries, which are forcing users to return home. “We are being pushed by the Government into a situation that we tried to avoid as much as possible.
Increasingly, there is a lack of responsiveness in the operating theatres and consultations, because there are fewer people, and I don’t know where this will end. But the Government is not managing to solve the problem in this way”, he underlined. According to João Dias, the operating rooms of the Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Algarve (CHUA), which includes the hospitals in Faro, Portimão and Lagos , are operating with the minimum services and all surgeries that are not considered urgent are being postponed.
“Many of these patients are, sometimes, three or four months waiting for an appointment, or five or six months waiting for a surgery and now they return home waiting for it to be rescheduled. Only it is not known when it will be rescheduled, because in the coming weeks there are other patients already scheduled, ”she lamented.
According to the union leader, doctors are being trained in public hospitals and then “leave for the private sector”, as professionals, from year to year, are “falling into dismay” and end up thinking that it is best to leave for the private sector.
“The Algarve has to have enough capacity to respond to the population it serves, it cannot be in a situation where it does not have dermatologists, does not have haematologists, does not have endocrinologists and where the Orthopaedics service is at the very least”, he stressed.
In addition to these specialties, Gynecology and Obstetrics also “is reduced to a third of the staff”, and Pediatrics, with two maternity hospitals operating, “practically five days a week, not to say six, there is no paediatrician in Portimão and, at other times, there is no paediatrician in Faro”, he insisted. “We have patients waiting to be operated on in the Algarve, they cannot get an answer and what is the agreement? An agreement is made with hospitals such as Riba d’Ave [in Braga], which is the farthest place in the country, there was no place further away, only in Spain”, he criticised.
According to João Dias, doctors are on strike “not only to have better conditions and attractiveness for professionals to remain in the National Health Service, but above all because they want the country to be able to respond”.
Doctors today started a three-day national strike to force the Government to present a concrete proposal to revise the salary grid, which the Minister of Health promised on Monday to send to the unions.
Called by SIM, the stoppage takes place simultaneously with a strike by family doctors for overtime work, which started on Monday and will last for a month.
Five Refused Entry at the Border on Sunday
As part of the World Youth Day operation and border control, five entries into national territory were refused at the Castro Marim border on Sunday, July 23, announced the National Republican Guard.
Documentary control at air, sea and land borders within the framework of World Youth Day (WYD) came into force on Saturday and is being carried out selectively and targeted based on information and risk analysis.
The replacement of documentary controls at the borders will remain active until 00:00 hours on August 7th and take place “on an exceptional basis in order to safeguard against any threats to public order and internal security”, according to a Government resolution. Border control within the scope of WYD, an event that will take place in Lisbon between August 1st and 6th and will be attended by Pope Francis, is in charge of the Foreigners and Borders Service (SEF), with the assistance of the Public Security Police (PSP) and GNR, in addition to the possible collaboration of authorities from other countries.
Teenager Loses Consciousness after Diving in Santa Eulália
A 17-year-old lost consciousness after diving on the beach of Santa Eulália , in the municipality of Albufeira , on Friday, July 21, announced the National Maritime Authority.
The alert was given by the lifeguards who were on duty on the beach, with elements of the “SeaWatch” project having been activated for the location, who removed the young man from the water and transported him to the beach, with the help of an Amarok vehicle.
The victim was stabilised by elements of the Portuguese Red Cross and was later transported to a hospital unit. The Portimão Maritime Police Local Command took care of the occurrence.
Man Arrested Suspected of Robbing Banks, and theft of CTT vans
The Judiciary Police announced on Saturday, the 22nd, that it had arrested a man suspected of robberies in banking and exchange establishments, CTT stations and a van transporting valuables, in the areas of Lisbon, on the Sintra and Algarve lines.
In a press release, the Judiciary Police (PJ) states that the robberies were registered between “May 27 and July 21”, in the areas of “Lisbon, Sintra line and Algarve (Portimão and Alvor)” and that the arrested suspect is 38 years old and has no criminal record .
“The individual alternated the places and regions where he committed the robberies to make the investigation more difficult”, reads the statement. According to the PJ, the suspect was “on the run after committing the crimes”, and this Friday “he was located and detained”.
“The steps taken led to the identification of the author of the facts, as well as the seizure of various objects relevant to the evidence, including the weapon that the suspect used in committing the robberies, which turned out to be an airsoft gun”.
The arrest took place as part of an investigation conducted by the National Counterterrorism Unit (UNCT). The detainee will be present at the first judicial interrogation for the application of appropriate coercive measures.
Murder Suspect committed in Lagos detained by the PJ in Poland
Police authorities in Poland have arrested a man suspected of a qualified homicide committed with a knife in Lagos, in November 2022, announced on Saturday, the 22nd, the Judiciary Police (PJ).
The arrest was made under an international arrest warrant issued by the Lagos Public Prosecutor’s Office and the 55-year-old man was extradited to Portugal, being held in custody by decision of the investigating judge in Portimão, the PJ said in a statement.
At stake are facts that occurred in Bensafrim , in the municipality of Lagos, on November 3 of last year, when the detainee, “following a discussion for futile reasons”, attacked the victim with a knife and “slashed a blow to the neck”, which ended up “causing death”, contextualised the same source. The PJ clarified that, “after the fatal attack”, the man “fled to an unknown location”, but was later “located in Poland, where the internationally effective arrest warrant was complied with and extradited to Portugal” by elements of the Portuguese police force.
“The 55-year-old detainee was present at the first judicial interrogation at the Portimão Criminal Investigation Court , having been held on remand.
Five Held on Suspicion of Drug Trafficking 150 km off the Algarve Coast
Five suspects were arrested and a vessel was seized during the night of this Friday, May 21, 150 kilometres south of the Algarve coast, announced the National Maritime Authority.
Together with the Portuguese Navy and the Air Force, they carried out a joint operation in international waters with the aim of combating drug trafficking .
During the operation, a high-speed vessel suspected of drug-trafficking activity was seized, and five male individuals, of Spanish and Moroccan nationalities, aged between 29 and 41 years, were detained. The seized vessel was loaded with 30 jerricans of fuel.
In addition, other vessels related to drug trafficking were identified and monitored by the Portuguese Air Force, being subsequently pursued by the maritime authorities.
The seized vessel and the detainees were taken to the port of Faro , where investigations will be carried out.
And finally please remember that the fire risk is still very high here in the Algarve with strong winds expected across the region all this week. Have a great week, until the next time.