The Médio Ave Hospital Centre will acquire a neonatal resuscitator for its services, fully co-financed by the City Council of Famalicão and by the county’s entrepreneurs. The instrument that responds to a hospital need serves as an aid to cardiopulmonary respiration to newborn babies, providing them with oxygen support.
The device has a cost of 15 thousand euros, with the City Council contributing 7.500 euros and the remaining amount paid by local entrepreneurs.
The proposal for the cooperation agreement between the City Council and the hospital was discussed in the last meeting of the municipal executive, considering “the unequivocal and relevant public interest of this instrument”.
In the end, the mayor, Paulo Cunha explained to journalists "the support results from a posture of permanent interaction between the municipality and the health care in the county, in this case hospital care, but it has also happened with primary health care".
The mayor pointed out that it was through the City Council "directly or indirectly that it was possible to raise 100 per cent of the equipment investment". He explained: "For legal reasons, the City Council cannot support the cost of more than 50 percent, but it was able to obtain the remaining support from the business community, mobilising businesspeople for the need for this hospital response".
"It is good to note that once again the businessmen from Famalicão have responded positively to this need”, Paulo Cunha stressed, leaving, however, the note that "this is a trend that is consolidating the need for municipal support for infrastructures that are state infrastructures".
"What is unfortunately happening is that if the municipalities do not grant this support, hospitals are deprived of these resources. The State was supposed to be competent and be able to meet the needs of its equipment, but this is not happening”, he lamented, adding, however, "the City Council is attentive and diligent, and fortunately has the financial conditions to support as it always has".
Despite this, the mayor pointed out that "more than discussing who should do it, what interests the people of Famalicão is that it is done and that the hospital gets this equipment that is so useful for its activity".
Moreover, the City Council has been assuming this posture of collaboration and support with the health services in the municipality, assuming its competences. "We are perfectly aware of how essential it is for the population that health care is provided with the greatest professionalism and with the best conditions, and for this reason, we have never rejected any kind of effort and support for this to happen”.
It was like this with the Women and Children's Clinic, with the new covid-19 emergency service, with the operation of the Vaccination Centre, among others.