The AULS, headquartered in Vila Real, concludes today a week of initiatives dedicated to Pregnant Women’s Day, which was observed on Monday and extended to various municipalities in the region.
As part of this celebration, the health unit provided an update on the ongoing construction works aimed at renovating and expanding the delivery ward and gynecology and obstetrics emergency department, with reopening scheduled for next summer.
“This investment will reinforce the ULS’s care capacity in this area, significantly improving the healthcare provided to both pregnant women and their companions,” said Ivo Oliveira, president of the ULSTMAD board of directors.
Part of the 3.5 million euro investment is funded by the European Union through the Norte 2020 program.
Ivo Oliveira also mentioned that this Local Health Unit has already filled the schedules for the emergency and obstetrics service until the end of the year.
The long-awaited intervention covers the gynecology and obstetrics emergency service, which will have direct access to the exterior, the delivery ward, and an operating room for cesarean sections. It will also include individual rooms for greater privacy and comfort for mothers and families, allowing a companion to be present throughout the entire birthing process (labor, delivery, and postpartum).
Modern equipment will also be introduced to “ensure the best healthcare provision.”
In 2023, the then Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro Hospital Center (CHTMAD) – now ULS – performed 1,118 deliveries.
Between January and August 2024, 36 more deliveries were performed compared to the same period last year.
According to the ULS, the week dedicated to pregnant women included informational sessions, recreational and cultural activities aimed at supporting future mothers and families, and also sought to help “prepare families for pre- and post-partum challenges.”
Created in early January, the Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro ULS integrates 59 functional primary healthcare units in 23 health centers, which, together with the three hospital units (Vila Real, Chaves, and Lamego), serve a population of about 369,000 inhabitants.
This ULS covers an area of 5,500 square kilometers and serves 21 municipalities.
