Sixty-five nurses from the Intensive Care Medicine Service at Dr. Nélio Mendonça Hospital submitted a formal request for exemption from responsibility to the President of the SESARAM, EPERAM Board of Directors today. They said the decision was driven by severe staffing shortages, excessive dependence on overtime, and the absence of enough qualified professionals. In their view, the situation has gone beyond “acceptable limits” and now represents a serious crisis in the department. The nurses warned that current working conditions threaten patient safety, the quality of health care, and the health and dignity of professionals. Their document called for an assessment of service conditions and staffing levels, less overtime, stronger core clinical teams, strict rest periods between shifts, and intervention by the Order of Nurses. They also argued that overtime, which should be exceptional, has become a permanent practice that is harming personal lives, increasing exhaustion, and raising the risk of clinical errors. Juntos Pelo Povo (JPP) described the nurses’ action as “legitimate,” while JPP Secretary General Élvio Sousa accused the Regional Government of incompetence and said Miguel Albuquerque is ignoring the reality of the crisis.
