Four emergency departments, three of which are for obstetrics and one for paediatrics, are closed this Saturday, according to the emergency rosters published on the National Health Service (SNS) portal. According to the SNS portal, the gynaecology and obstetrics emergency departments at the hospitals of Santarém and Abrantes are closed, as is the Portimão Hospital.
Four hospital emergency departments are closed this Saturday
Saturday, 4 April 2026RSS
Context & Explainers
The Alfredo da Costa Maternity Hospital (Maternidade Alfredo da Costa, commonly known as MAC) is Lisbon's principal public maternity facility and one of the busiest maternity units in Portugal's National Health Service (Serviço Nacional de Saúde).
Located in central Lisbon, the MAC is a referral center for high-risk pregnancies and complex neonatal care. It handles a large volume of births annually and serves as a teaching hospital affiliated with Lisbon's medical schools.
The MAC has been at the center of recurring debates about maternity ward closures and staffing shortages across Portugal's public health system. Expectant parents in the Lisbon area may be referred to the MAC for specialist care or diverted there when other maternity units temporarily close due to staff shortages.
If you need emergency care and a local ED is understaffed, call 112 for life‑threatening situations or contact the national health triage line (SNS 24) for urgent guidance; the operator can direct you to the nearest hospital with capacity or arrange an ambulance. As an expat, also consider local private hospitals or clinics if available and keep your health insurance details and ID ready to speed up admission.
AI Summary AvailableEmergency departments closed across multiple hospitalsRead the synthesized summary with context and explainers
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