Portugal Health Minister Quits After Pregnant Indian Tourist Dies During Hospital Transfer

Lisbon: Portugal’s health minister Marta Temido stepped down from her post hours after a pregnant Indian woman died in Lisbon while being shifted to another hospital after being turned away from a maternity ward.

According to news agency Reuters, the 34-year-old pregnant Indian tourist died after suffering a cardiac arrest during an ambulance transfer from Santa Maria hospital, which had no vacancies in the neonatology service, to Sao Francisco Xavier hospital in the capital. She was 31 weeks pregnant. Her baby was delivered following an emergency caesarean section at the second hospital and an investigation has been launched into the woman’s death, the BBC reported.

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.

Earlier two infants had died after the mothers were shifted between hospitals and suffered long delays.

Portugal’s Prime Minister Antonio Costa said he had accepted her resignation and tweeted that he was “grateful” for all the work done by Temido, especially in combating the COVID pandemic. Costa also promised to push ahead with reforms to strengthen the healthcare system.