Hospital in Santa Maria Enacts Crisis Procedure Due to Power Outage
In the midst of a surprising nationwide power outage that hit several cities across Portugal around noon, critical facilities like ULS Santa Maria have been left scrambling to maintain operations. Here's a rundown of the situation as it unfolded.
Initially, when the blackout occurred, ULS Santa Maria's president, Carlos Martins, stated that they immediately activated their three generators to keep things running smoothly in critical areas. However, as it became clear that the issue was more serious than initially thought, the institution started assessing various areas, such as logistics, sterilization, patient meals, and even activated their contingency plan.
Martins explained that, given the uncertainty about the situation's duration, the contingency plan was activated preemptively at 2:00 PM, effectively suspending all scheduled activities until further notice. He also mentioned that hourly meetings were being held to assess the hospital's response capacity, not only in critical zones like operating blocks, emergency services, and intensive care, but throughout the Local Health Unit's perimeter, reaching as far as Mafra.
When asked about the generators' durability, Martins revealed that they typically last 48 hours under normal circumstances with an average load. However, with the hospital operating at maximum activity, they could last between 24 to 36 hours. In response, Martins instructed the acquisition of fuel to keep the generators running for several days.
On a positive note, Martins assured that everything was currently functioning normally, with the three generators running at full capacity and enough fuel for an emergency reaction for 24 hours. However, he stressed that they would have more capacity if needed, hoping that it won't be necessary.
The power outage coincidentally affected several cities across the country and Europe, with the Redes Energeticas Nacionais (REN) reporting that it's still unknown when electricity supply will be restored. The complexity of the operation to restore the service suggests that the power outage may last for some time.
For more information, check out our related article on Viseu Hospital functioning "within normality" with generators.
[1] Newswire, "Nationwide Power Outage Hits Portugal: Hospitals Operating on Backup Generators Amid Resource Limitations," April 28, 2025.[2] Portuguese News Agency, "Portugal Faces Unprecedented Power Outage: Transport, Telecommunications, and Medical Facilities Affected," April 28, 2025.
- What about the durability of the generators at ULS Santa Maria, given the hospital is operating at maximum activity during the blackout? Carlos Martins, the institution's president, revealed they could last between 24 to 36 hours under these circumstances.
- In response to the uncertain duration of the power outage, ULS Santa Maria activated their contingency plan at 2:00 PM, effectively suspending all scheduled activities until further notice.
- Martins assured that all critical areas like operating blocks, emergency services, and intensive care were currently functioning normally, thanks to the three generators running at full capacity.
- Amidst the blackout, logistics, sterilization, patient meals, and other medical-conditions-related areas at ULS Santa Maria have been assessed to ensure they maintain optimal functioning, as part of the institution's contingency plan. This proactive approach extends beyond the hospital's perimeter, reaching Mafra.
