Comments for Madeira News Blog

Comment on Airport strike latest & lower fuel prices by Admin

Admin — Wed, 23 May 2012 13:47:16 +0000

easyJet changes (cancellations and reschedules) for the 24/25th can be found here:
http://easyjet.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/3970

Comment on Air Traffic Control strikes latest. Jardim: “Madeira may leave the EU” !! by Admin

Admin — Wed, 23 May 2012 13:45:18 +0000

easyJet flight changes 24/25th May as a result opf the NAV strike now added to the TAP update in the comments section of the posting below.

Comment on Air Traffic Control strikes latest. Jardim: “Madeira may leave the EU” !! by peter

peter — Wed, 23 May 2012 12:01:44 +0000

Has anyone been watching the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Its been enjoyable.

Comment on Air Traffic Control strikes latest. Jardim: “Madeira may leave the EU” !! by peter

peter — Wed, 23 May 2012 11:57:50 +0000

Good news on the gravy. I managed to find a SA which had the last few remaining stocks.:)

Comment on Air Traffic Control strikes latest. Jardim: “Madeira may leave the EU” !! by Jon

Jon — Wed, 23 May 2012 11:02:19 +0000

Martin, you crack me up …. brilliant and sadly TRUE.

27 years service to Queen and country and …….. they are doing a review of my MEDICAL pension to see if my Wife now earns more?!?!?!?! What? She earns a darn site less than when she (slaved) for the Health Authority for countless years before we moved here…..cost cutting, pension trimming shinanigins (?) methinks – ha, so if my Darling lady (who did untold unpaid care work for me) now gets less than when I was awarded my medical benefits, should we not get a rise in pension?!?! Watch this space…

Aka health care here: As I am (still, for the time being….) in reciept of a “government” pension I recieve a rebate on any private (Dental etc) Medical costs – Deb as my partner (in crime) likewise. A Jolly good system that helps take some of the load of the “free” health service here….indeed, the private sector health service here (including Madeira Medical Centre, Funchaletc.) is hugely less expensive than the U.K. AND Ireland’s National Health Service = for instance, our last private Doctors consultation cost us 35 euro each, may indeed have risen to 50 euro now though…….prescriptions? In our experience cheaper than the U.K. Also with generic, cheaper choices of medications offered. The Farmacia’s (chemist) here do a great job and offer a good alternative service to the Doctors – will also medicate for domestic animals! Example (human): A “ventilan Inalador” (inhaler, asthma etc.) costs a “mere” 4,25 Euro “over the counter” compared to some £8 or £10 for a equivalent U.K. prescription……

Sorry about your prices Tracy – certainly discouraging early and preventative treatment. Probadly actually against your “human rights”! Do people on welfare benefits get free treatment/prescriptions aka U.K.?

Comment on Air Traffic Control strikes latest. Jardim: “Madeira may leave the EU” !! by martin

martin — Wed, 23 May 2012 09:18:46 +0000

Now I understand why there is an unceasing influx of Irish “travellers” into England. We will give them free healthcare and education and state benefits without any requirement to have contributed to our National Insurance or tax system. England will happily pay out to the undeserving.
Jon and Debs will understand that as you are law abiding and have a history of tax payment to the English economy, because of our incomprehensible civil service you can no longer have any entitlements in the county of your birth.
So there!
Sucks ! Boo!.
If you need England’s help Jon and Debs, please lie through your teeth and claim asylum from an opressive regime.
Have a Transit and caravan handy too!!! Park where you like it’s allowed if you are a stereotype.

Comment on Air Traffic Control strikes latest. Jardim: “Madeira may leave the EU” !! by richard

richard — Wed, 23 May 2012 08:25:43 +0000

Ex Pats may be interested in the BBC coverage of the torch relay.
Continous coverage on the web just google BBC torchbrelay for the site will give details of route etc. Live coverage on the same site. A good way of bringing back memories of old haunts.

Comment on Air Traffic Control strikes latest. Jardim: “Madeira may leave the EU” !! by Tracie

Tracie — Wed, 23 May 2012 07:19:52 +0000

In Ireland we pay €50 for a doctors visit, up to €132 every month for medicines and €110 to visit the hospital unless you have been referred by a doctor.

My child has recently had whooping cough that took 12 doctors visits, 3 hospital trips and hundreds in medication, plus a broken elbow before that playing football, the elbow cost €890 and the whooping cough well over €1000 which I can’t afford

A visit to the doctor or hospital should not be based on whether you can afford it, my poor 13 year old might have been diagnosed a lot earlier if we had not waited to make sure he was really really ill before seeing our gp because flu/cough does not justify a €50 visit and I strapped up his elbow for 10 days saying it was just bruised again because I could not afford to get it looked at in case it was a sprain

Comment on Air Traffic Control strikes latest. Jardim: “Madeira may leave the EU” !! by Jon

Jon — Wed, 23 May 2012 07:12:40 +0000

Air Traffic for Friday the 25th May, in/out of Funchal Airport, appears to currently consist of up to three movements – all in the early hours….looks like the strike is “on”.

Comment on Air Traffic Control strikes latest. Jardim: “Madeira may leave the EU” !! by Debs

Debs — Tue, 22 May 2012 20:43:01 +0000

No organisation, like the NHS, can continue to provide free treatment without adequate funding for its staff, medications, surgery, the upgrade of the buildings etc etc.

I have been to the A & E Department in Funchal Hospital, via an ambulance, and subsequently had to have emergency surgery and the treatment I received was superb. But at the end of the day somebody has to pay for this. Having lived here for eight years (and informed the Queen and everybody else that we were moving lock, stock and barrel to Madeira), evidently if we now returned to the UK for a holiday and needed treatment (other than emergency) we would have to pay for it!

Comment on Air Traffic Control strikes latest. Jardim: “Madeira may leave the EU” !! by Jon

Jon — Tue, 22 May 2012 20:33:12 +0000

I’m not sure about the general availability of the “centro de saude” – health centers for the general public – throughout Madeira. But these centres do perform much the same task as a G.P. surgery in the U.K. and are FREE. But they are not “open” at night times etc. – we do have a very good public one in Gaula, Santa Cruz and indeed in Machico – which does I believe offer “out of hours” service, a small Hospital? So, in general non emergency care is well provided for in OUR local community. So, in effect, everyone has a “family” Doctor – they of course have to register, Like us. I (and Deb) would indeed class respiratory and allergic reactions as emergency issues and am sure that the Hospitals (A&E) agree…..and also provide advice and medication (adrenalin, anti flams etc) to ward off the initial symptons of recurrent “attacks” – either by insect or virus, eg anti-histamines!

Poverty, lack of transport AND education are a massive issue here – Yes Martin, Bertie COULD have done a huge amount more in this area = and many people “just” ‘phone for an Ambulance …. and (no thanks to Bertie) there are now many more available together with the “rapid response” teams and E.M.S. guys on motorbikes also = comparible to the U.K. health system and in MANY areas BETTER.

Education to prevent, reduce or react to injuries/illness appropiately is indeed required = the Hospital is not the “magic fix” for everthing….and yes, it does need to rationalise its resources = times is hard m’dear, cheers Bertie, the world, bankers and all!

Comment on Air Traffic Control strikes latest. Jardim: “Madeira may leave the EU” !! by peter

peter — Tue, 22 May 2012 18:28:26 +0000

I agree with admin comments. Its the local people who on low wages I feel sorry for, not only concern do I ring for emergency, but will I get AE bill on top of their medicine. I remember the saying early treatment, saves not only the person being ill, but also in hospital long term care taking up beds. For example when I arrived in Madeira within few weeks I had a chest cold and I suffer from Asthma. I had to go to AE, for treatment. A year later again I picked up a cold and again it affected my breathing. I went to the AE and they did tests. They commented I went to them at the right time before the chest cold got a strong hold on me. My reply was I remembered how bad the first one was. My common sense told me get this sorted before it gets worse. People should not be in two minds when they need treatment. Health is a number one issue not only for myself, but for the people of this lovely island.

Comment on Air Traffic Control strikes latest. Jardim: “Madeira may leave the EU” !! by martin

martin — Tue, 22 May 2012 18:27:49 +0000

Well Done Bertie.
You will be losing hospital staff to the UK next as the pay is better.
The Portuguese in the Suffolk hospitals offer a very pleasant service and their attitude to patients much better than immigrants from the sub continents.
You WILL have to find more money for healthcare, Dont blame the mainland. You have the funds hidden somewhere

Comment on Air Traffic Control strikes latest. Jardim: “Madeira may leave the EU” !! by admin

admin — Tue, 22 May 2012 17:16:39 +0000

trouble is Debs, many of those without family doctors, and those with who cannot wait weeks for an appointment, won’t be able to afford to pay. For example, I suffer badly sometimes with mosquito/insect bites (blisters and swelling, and inflamed blood vessels), but I doubt very much whether normally the hospital would consider it anything important, although without doubt needing a little treatment to stem the inflamation. Aside from this, with 3 of the ‘out of hours’ local emergency services now closed at night and weekends, people have no other option but to go to Funchal hospital.

Comment on Airport strike latest & lower fuel prices by Admin

Admin — Tue, 22 May 2012 15:33:27 +0000

List of all TAP flights that are affected between 23rd and 26th May can be found here:
http://www.tapportugal.com/mediaRep/editors/Contentimages/INSTITUTIONAL/PDF/INFO/voosen_greve_2425maiv3.pdf

Comment on Air Traffic Control strikes latest. Jardim: “Madeira may leave the EU” !! by Debs

Debs — Tue, 22 May 2012 14:49:50 +0000

With regards to charging for non-emergency treatment, I personally think it is an excellent idea as it would free up staff to treat “real” emergencies. Perhaps the NHS in the UK should look at this too.

Comment on Air Traffic Control strikes latest. Jardim: “Madeira may leave the EU” !! by admin

admin — Tue, 22 May 2012 12:38:37 +0000

Just announced this morning that emergencies in Funchal Hospital are going to be charged, and not just for tourists. Despite the PSD-M saying a couple of months ago that this service wouldn’t be charged, in future those patients assessed as ‘non urgent’ and ‘little urgent’ will pay around 15 – 20€. So you need to break at least one leg, preferably three, if you want free treatment. The PSD-M have justified the charges, saying that they have been imposed from Lisbon.

Todays press full of bad news for Madeira, in particular the almost certain need for yet more austerity measures.

Comment on Air Traffic Control strikes latest. Jardim: “Madeira may leave the EU” !! by Jon

Jon — Tue, 22 May 2012 10:54:50 +0000

Excelent Martin 11/10 – precise, concise and correct! Martin for President?

Comment on Air Traffic Control strikes latest. Jardim: “Madeira may leave the EU” !! by Martin

Martin — Tue, 22 May 2012 08:46:54 +0000

Well Bertie is in typical street fighter mode.
It’s a load of bull.
Bertie didn’t allocate money for the Hospital and healthcare.
The money arrived and was indeed spent (perhaps on a football pitch or2).
Education money spent elsewhere.
Construction fills the pockets of cronies.
Launders Russian illegal cash.
The free Trade Zone was never supervised properly by Madeira’s administration and also they did not drag enough manufacturers in.
And tourism has become too expensive on Madeira. The cost of travel is too high. The tourist cuisine limited. Cruise ships cannot benefit the small businesses of the island as the excursions benefit the same large operators.
The names of the shareholders in the cement works would raise eyebrows no doubt
More apartments at selling prices of 250000 and above certainly not required.
Hundreds empty now.
Agents have hundreds of occupied places for sale caused by banks trying to consolidate their balance sheets.
Which bank has the most problems in this regard?
And who owns it?
Don’t be surprised to see Bertie and his cronies in the courts charged with crimes against the People of Madeira, together with corrupt practices.
That is not to say that in his strange way he dragged Madeira in to 20th century living standards.
But that was the EEC plan too. It did not need Bertie for that.
The serfdoms that dominate the people still remain, though because of the corruption.
The price of cars indicates well that pockets are lined in the supply chain.
Running an island of 250,000 people should be the easiest managerial role going.
Until he goes and a clear out of entrenched interests is effected poor old madeira wont go forward.
AND who is going to repay the 1.5 billion inspectors are searching for?
Despite this Madeirans are charming people, the island remains unspoilt outside of the building sites, the weather clement and I want to live here.

Comment on Airport strike latest & lower fuel prices by Jon

Jon — Mon, 21 May 2012 20:37:03 +0000

But hopefully the ground staff won’t be on strike also, as they were on the 18th. So, with luck, disruption should be kept to a minimum…..mmmmm! Hope so. Check with your Airline afore ye go…….