Brava: Mother's outburst exposes frustration and failings in the local health system

In her account, Carla describes a succession of obstacles which, according to her, made it practically impossible to get the medical care she needed in Brava. The mother says that, last month, she had to travel to Fogo to take her daughter to a pediatrician's appointment and to have ultrasounds and tests done, which they were unable to schedule in Brava.

According to her outburst, every time she tries to schedule exams or tests on the island of Fogo, she is met with replies such as "you'll have to make the appointment on the island of Brava", and is told that the waiting list is full or that there is no availability to carry out the procedures. Carla also says that, in many cases, the hospital makes it conditional on waiting for vacancies that can take six to seven months, forcing families to look for alternatives on other islands - an especially heavy sacrifice for those who don't have the financial resources or conditions to travel.

The mother also denounces difficulties in accessing additional health consultations, despite regularly paying for insurance. "Knowing that you pay for insurance to help you when you need it, the health service won't give you a simple document."

In her outburst, Carla reports that her daughter has had tests whose PCR came back positive, and that the child has spots on her scalp that "make her hair fall out", but she still had difficulty being seen at Brava. On the two days that she sought help at the hospital, she claims to have been told that "there is no room in the schedule", despite knowing that the doctor was at the unit.

"Brava is the land of patronage," she wrote, insinuating favoritism and a lack of responsibility in public care.

Carla concluded her rant with a message addressed to the local authorities, "no King stays on the throne forever, there is a deadline for the reign to end, the higher they are the greater the fall."

The publication, which was widely shared, has generated a strong reaction among citizens who say they are facing similar situations and are calling for urgent responses from the health authorities and Brava Town Hall.

The situation described by Carla rekindles the debate about the need to reinforce the professional staff, improve the functioning of the local hospital and ensure that Bravenses have dignified and efficient access to basic health care. For many families, this mother's outburst is a mirror of a reality that has been denounced for years.