The Radiology working committee set up by the Independent Association of Dentists (AIMD) and the National Association of Clinics (ANC) is organising a protest action for 18th June against the new legal regime for radiological protection.
The protest, scheduled for 3pm, will take place on Rua de O Século in Lisbon, in front of the headquarters of the Ministry of the Environment and of the Inspectorate-General for Agriculture, Sea and Spatial Planning (IGAMAOT.)
In a press release, the president of the AIMD said: “This is a time to unite all doctors, dentists and vets under a common banner. The requests for help that reach us multiply, they are too many for us not to act drastically. Health and clinics cannot remain hostages of bureaucrats and fees. We ask this government, that systematically discredits the professional associations, listens to health professionals and has the courage to reverse this absurd legislation, which treats medical clinics like nuclear power stations.”
The two associations have made a public petition, with the same purpose, which less than a day after its launch has already exceeded a thousand signatures, and will be handed over to the Ministry of the Environment at the end of the protest.
According to the two associations, “the DL 108/2018 is manifestly ill-adjusted to the reality of radiological examinations performed in Portugal, it went beyond the requirements of European Directive Euratom 2013/59. (…) This has created the chaos of bureaucratisation and led to astronomical inflation of the fees charged by radiological protection companies, all as a result of a law that cannot be fulfilled in a timely manner.”
They add: “Naturally, oral radiology must be regulated, but not in a witch-hunt with fines of tens of thousands of euros, as if we were dealing with environmental disasters. In Portugal, there has never been the slightest incident resulting from ionising radiation from dental radiology equipment!”
In May 2021, the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA), the Order of Dentists (OMD) and the Order of Veterinary Doctors (OMV) reached an agreement regarding the revision of DL 108/2018, in which an 18-month moratorium applicable to clinics was contemplated. “However, IGAMAOT inspections have been maintained, which is completely incomprehensible,” add the spokespersons of the ‘task-force’. “With the chaos installed, those who profit are the APA itself, through IGAMAOT, which actively inspects and applies administrative offences for mere bureaucratic reasons, without any implicit risk to public health.”
This ‘task-force’ has therefore put the following demands to the Government: immediate revocation of DL 108/2018; immediate suspension of IGAMAOT’s inspection activity; cancellation of all ongoing administrative offence procedures applied to private health providers by IGAMAOT.
The protest action and the petition follow a report to the Public Prosecutor’s Office made by these associations targeting IGAMAOT, in April 2021, and the case is already under investigation by the Central Department of Investigation and Penal Action (DCIAP). One of the complaints made is the violation of the principle of equality in a rule of law: “according to IGAMAOT’s own inspection reports, made available on its website, they show that, at least in 2019 and 2020, they only inspected private entities”.
To find out more about the public petition and protest, follow these links: Petição; Protesto.
