The Garcia de Orta Hospital in Almada is again refusing new pregnant patients due to a lack of available doctors in its obstetrics emergency department. Health Minister Ana Paula Martins announced that the government will revise a recent order regarding stroke unit doctors following criticism from medical associations, while also finalizing a new model to incentivize high-performance obstetrics centers.
Almada hospital refuses new pregnant patients due to shortages
Tuesday, 14 July 2026AI summary
Context & Explainers
Ana Paula Martins is a Portuguese pharmacist and politician who has served as the Minister of Health in Portugal since April 2024. A member of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), she was reappointed to the position in the second government of Prime Minister Luís Montenegro in June 2025.
Professional Background
Pharmaceutical Leadership: She served as the President of the Order of Pharmacists (Bastonária da Ordem dos Farmacêuticos) from 2016 to 2022.
Hospital Management: She was the President of the Board of Directors of Hospital de Santa Maria (CHULN) in Lisbon from December 2022 to January 2024.
Academic Work: She holds a PhD in Clinical Pharmacy and has been an assistant professor at the Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Lisbon for over 20 years.
Political Career
Government Role: As Minister of Health, she has overseen the implementation of the "SNS Emergency Plan" and recently addressed issues such as INEM staffing and public-private partnerships in healthcare.
Party Leadership: She served as Vice President of the PSD under Rui Rio (2021–2022).
Parliament: She was elected as a member of the Assembly of the Republic representing the Lisbon constituency in 2024.
4 sources
- Almada: Garcia de Orta Hospital is refusing new pregnant patientsrtp.pt ·
- Doctors. Government corrects order regarding stroke unitsobservador.pt ·
- Government to correct order targeting doctors in stroke unitscmjornal.pt ·
- Deemed "decisive", high-performance obstetrics centres still awaiting ministerial orderpublico.pt ·
