Madeira News Blog

TODAY’S PHOTO : Thanks to Tobi … The cruise ship AIDA Luna

Many thanks also to Tobi for this piece on the Ilhas Desertas : (Source : Essential Magazine).

One of the newest opportunities in nature tourism on Madeira is the chance to spend 1 or 2 nights on the Desertas Islands. The islands which dot the horizon from the south, south east of Madeira trigger much curiosity, and visiting the islands has been allowed for some time now, but staying over night has only just become possible. Madeira Natural Park, that manage the nature reserves on the islands, want to attract a growing number of people, but in controlled numbers to help promote the work they do, and raise awareness of good environmental habits.

Anyone can take advantage of this opportunity, all you have to do is ask the Madeira Natural Park for permission. From there you will need a tent or sleeping bag and anything else you may need to spend your time on land.

The islands are very popular for bird watchers and are a great place to see the  Monk Seals , and don’t forget the Desertas Wolf Spider. Photo : Wardens house on the Desertas

Madeira Natural Park can be contacted on 291 214 360, or diliamenezes.sra@gov-madeira.pt  or WEBSITE

I know we have a few Mandolin Orchestra fans amongst us, so this might be of interest. ‘Fabio Machado was born in Funchal, Portugal and started studying mandolin at the age of 9 years. He joined the Madeira Mandolin Orchestra (Recreio Musical União da Mocidade) and became its Concertmaster for several years, performing in several venues as a soloist’. NEW BOOK IN ENGLISH Anyone know what the differences are between a Bandolim a Ukulele and a Mandolin? I certainly don’t!

"Madeira is a tropical island. The Laurissílva Forest, in the Madeira Natural Park, is the largest evergreen forest in the world – a fact that has earned it classification as a world heritage site". I thought we were sub-tropical, but anyway I didn’t know about the "largest evergreen forest in the world" bit, but that’s what it says HERE. Is it true?

This is an article composed of an interview with a travel journalist, and although it does cover Madeira briefly, it might also be useful or of interest to anyone thinking of travelling to PORTUGAL

Some of today’s main news stories :

Public Libraries celebrate 30 years – Various activities will mark the occasion. An exhibition, a video of the history, a children’s guide and other projects will be announced today. Details on the LIBRARY WEBSITE 

17 thousand people living on benefits – The number of Madeirans who depend on social benefits to survive grows. It is the crisis intensifying the situation in the world of poverty and unemployment. Today’s main news headline. In September there were 8,685 on unemployment benefit, and 8,372 on social integration income (RSI). Over a year the people totally dependent on the state that receive theses two benefits has increased by 4,735. The picture, which is reflected nationally, shows no signs yet of improvement. Loads of unemployed over my way, as what little tourism there was plunged a long time ago, and other Summer seasonal work starts to decline. I think I know as many unemployed as employed people, but generally I don’t need to worry about them too much … all resourceful people, normally with a foot in both camps, if you know what I mean.

Firemen abandon Nogueira – Brutal aggression to a fireman leads to the closure of the fire station. The 43 year old fireman was violently assaulted on Saturday night, with a bottle, leaving him with serious injuries to his face and arm. He was released from hospital after treatment (stitches) early the following morning. Yesterday the fire station was empty, with no flags flying, leaving Camacha now to depend on Santa Cruz central fire station for service. Three men, an ambulance, and a light fire fighting vehicle have now been moved to Santa Cruz. A spokesman for the fire brigade said that "many situations in that location have already occurred, but never as serious as this". On this morning’s TV news it said that the fireman was breaking up a fight between two people outside the fire station when he was attacked.

Cultural centre in London in difficulties – The 27th birthday party just served to expose the financial problems. The president J.M. Sousa is going to put up a fight. 

Health professional may refuse the Gripe A vaccine – The Orders of Doctors and Nurses are recommending that the professionals accept the vaccine. The acceptance of the swine flu vaccine is not obligatory.

Ambulance company insufficient – 24 ambulances and 36 teams of ESB are not enough for nearly 500 transport requests per day. The patients complain of long waits. The company promises to boost resources. The Empresa de Serviço de Bombeiros is equipped to respond to 300 transport requests per day, but the reality is around 430 daily requests to take people to hospital. The current poor level of service is generating many complaints, as patients are left waiting at their front door, miss meals, and miss doctors appointments. Last month generated more complaints than ever before. ESB has bases in Funchal, Machico, Santana, São Vicente, Ribeira Brava and Porto Santo. With it’s 24 ambulances and 36 teams (2 in each), it provides free transport for the users of SESARAM.

Djalma pair in latest victory of Marítimo also gets a big chunk of today’s front page. Marítimo managed a fine 3 – 1 victory over Paços de Ferreira yesterday afternoon, that lifts them to 7th in the premier league. Nacional face Benfica away tonight. Watching the goals on this morning’s news, with three sides of the football pitch closed off due to the €45 million redevelopment project, one might have expected the remaining side to have been full of supporters, but it was far from that.

Yesterday’s top news stories courtesy of Elaine :

Domestic violence complaints continue to increase. Leave the region to escape the aggressor. More bad statistics. The number of complaints about domestic violence have risen, 702 by the end of August against 896 last year. Monthly average of 86 compared to 37 in 2006, 56 in 2007 and 75 last year. The Regional Plan Against Domestic Violence is being finalized, ready for public presentation on November 25th, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. These figures are no worse than the rest of Europe. Madeira has three shelters for women where they can live for a period of months until they can be reintegrated back into society. Some get new homes and jobs, others return to the abuser. Some are forced to leave the region, often to shelters on the mainland. Women complain after around 35 attacks as they often stay with the abuser for years, and abuse can be learnt by children. Abuse can be physical, psychological, sexual, coercion or threat. There is also elderly abuse, often reported by aides to the home. To get help with abuse, a criminal complaint should be filed but there are also three other ways: a social emergency line (phone helpline by Social Services), private institutions, police have specially trained staff and the shelters providing 41 beds. A break-down of regional statistics since 2006. ——No analysis given, e.g. demographic changes

Alexandre Camacho wins the Faial Rally but bids farewell. Due to lack of sponsorship / money. He had an easier win than predicted due to early withdrawal of Miguel Nunes because of engine breakdown.

—–Thought you would enjoy the photo of the cat having a lucky escape.

Commemoration of 99 years of Marítimo. 600 supporters (including Jardim) at a dinner held in the well-decorated club pavilion. Included a large cake as ‘a birthday party without a cake is not a party’. Carlos Pereira, the President of Marítimo criticized the rival club (no mention of name) for using expensive flights when travelling abroad and the hostile media. He thanked Jardim for the construction of the future stadium and Government support. —– Cake for 600!

Region ‘rejects’ promotion in ‘El Corte Ingles’. Madeira under-represented at the fair in the commercial centre in Lisbon for local produce from Portuguese and Spanish islands. There is not enough space for Madeiran products, only showing bolo de mel, cane sugar, poncha and Madeira wine (not many varieties), products which are almost impossible to buy in Portugal.

Port has a ‘full-house’. Saturday had a full-house with four cruisers and three on Sunday. Saturday, the Arcadia arrived at 12.00 but could not berth until 18.00 when another ship left, and stayed overnight. The Diário highlighted that the local commercial areas remain closed on a Sunday and the daily information given on reception advises a visit to the farmer’s market, described in the brochures as ‘unique, beautiful and pleasant’.

Military ready for new security threats. Speech by the Commander of the Military Zone on Army Day on Saturday. The three branches of the armed forces, security forces and civil protection have undergone new training to protect against terrorism, transnational crime and accidents or natural disasters. The ceremonies were also to welcome back the soldiers who have spent a year in Kosovo. In the past 20 years, Portuguese soldiers have been in Africa, East Timor, Bosnia and Kosovo. —– No mention of Iraq or Afghanistan.

1420 staff at 284 polling stations for September 27 elections cost 108,000 Euros. Each person will receive 76.32 Euros but it will take four months to pay them all. Each station required five members – a president, vice-president, secretary and two tellers.

Food Bank Against Hunger in Madeira in 2010. Part of the European venture to avoid food wastage whilst others go hungry. In Portugal, including the Azores, the 17 units cater for 250,000 people. The charity volunteers in Madeira are already being trained. Food is donated from hotels, retailers, individuals, often from excess agricultural production, and supermarket collection campaigns.

17 years in prison for three drug traffickers. All from Câmara de Lobos, including the ‘drug baron’. Two brothers aged 22 and 36 received sentences of five and a half years, and the third of six years. They sold cocaine and heroin to users in their homes for  ‘lucrative’ incomes in 2008. Two denied the accusations and one refused to speak in court. The ‘drug baron’ had individual drug doses hidden inside ‘Kinder’ eggs and these were both in his home and buried in surrounding land belonging to other people, as well as plastic bags containing money. —– Kinder surprise! You know who to take on your next Easter egg hunt.

—– Article in the Daily Telegraph on the 4 June 2009 entitled ‘Postmistress foils Kinder egg cannabis delivery’. A village sub-postmistress in Cambridgeshire foiled a dealer’s attempts to mail drugs hidden in Kinder eggs after she detected suspicious smells from the parcels. He received a 12-month suspended sentence and ordered to complete 220 hours of community work.

Portugal news.

First of 16 lynx arrives on Monday to prevent extinction of the species that only exists in the Iberian Peninsular. They do not know the  population numbers but that they are not stable and they have been threatened for several decades. The female lynx to arrive at the centre in Silves in the Algarve is called Azahar, the Arabic name for orange blossom.

The first luxury hotel to be built on the west coast of the Algarve has the natural park as a selling feature. Leacocks are to build a five-star hotel in Aljezur in part of the Natural Park of Southwest Alentejo and Costa Vicentina. Some hotel areas will be below ground so as not to interfere with the surrounding area.

Portuguese Phonographic Association President asks the new Minister of Culture to control "unruly access to music via the internet, which is killing the music industry". Recently in the British Daily Mail, a Columbian singer, Shakira, argued the opposite, supporting illegal downloading as "It is a way to democratize the music and the music is a gift."

In the inauguration of the sixth Portuguese government in 15 years, there was the usual repeated lists of promises and the difficulties facing the country. Antonio Guterres, 15 years ago, highlighted modernization of the economy and increased productivity needed. In that speech, the President, Cavaco Silva fainted and afterwards apologised for the disruption, caused by the death of his father. Then four years later, Guterres highlighted Social Security reform. Barroso in 2002 highlighted public accounts. When Barroso resigned to go to Brussels, Pedro Santana Lopes pledged to maintain strict financial discipline. He gave a confused speech by not sticking to the script. Eight months later, Sócrates said pharmacies would not be exclusively allowed to sell non-prescription drugs. On Wednesday, Sócrates started his second term, with a reduced majority, so might have to seek agreement with the opposition to get his policies passed. Has been talk of a coalition but ridiculed by Jardim, who still calls the Portuguese ‘masochists’ for re-electing socialist governments. Jardim Ramos of the Madeiran Government still hopes for good relationships with Lisbon, especially for funding for the new hospital as a community project.

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Qualifying For Free Health Care Under The Portuguese Health Service.

If you are resident on Madeira, you are entitled to make use of the health service and enjoy the same benefits & standards of health care as a portuguese citizen with doctors & health centres. However, in order to obtain residency it has been necessary in the past to demonstrate that you already have medical protection in this respect, but you will be told this when you apply for residency at the Serviço de Estrangeiros e Fronteiras in the Loja da Cidadão, in Funchal. If you use the website link above you can click a button to see the english language version.

Once you have residency, any need for health and medical insurance becomes optional, as you can then apply for your medical registration and ‘health card’. Depending on your working circumstances, you may also need to show that you are registered with your local social security office (Segurança Social) and pay national insurance contributions.

There are cases where applicants have gone to their local health centre and been issued a ‘health card’ showing no more than their passport, and have seen a doctor that same day.

Anyway, however you manage it you will end up with a card called the ‘Cartão De Utente’, which will hold medical information about you on its magnetic strip, or you may be issued with a substitute document. Once you have registered you are covered (even if you have been issued with a temporary document), and you can then seek help or treatment from registered doctors at any of the health centres or hospitals on Madeira. The card will also entitle the owner to discounts on prescription medicines.

If you are unable to obtain the registration, particularly if you are waiting for your residency permit, then you will need to have a medical insurance policy to cover you. As a traveller, you can use the European Health Insurance card (formerly the E111) obtained in your own county, or use your travel insurance policy to deal with any emergencies, and in addition, some countries like the UK have reciprocal agreements with Portugal for assistance and treatment of each others citizens. This will cover any emergency treatments in health centres and hospitals.

Health Care Standards

Unless there is something to compare with, it’s hard to make comparisons, but feedback from people who have used the Portuguese health service has been pretty positive in all respects. Of course each hospital or health centre has good days and bad days, but the bad days are apparently few and far between, and it is fair to say that Madeira provides a very satisfactory medical service, that would compare well with the top european countries.

However, Madeira is a small island, and health problems of very specialised natures may not be familiar to the doctors here, or they may not have the equipment, hospitals or facilities to deal with particular specialist problems. In this case, if you are properly registered in the health care system of Portugal, you may be sent to the mainland to receive consultations or treatment, with nearly everything organised and paid for, including a meal allowance (€18 per day). Flights will be prepaid, but taxis to the airport will not be fully reimbursed for example (75%). If going to the mainland, you have an option to take a companion to help you as necessary. Normally an administrative and help contact is provided in your city of destination, so you can phone at any time for advice and support.

Doctors on Madeira may be reluctant to send foreigners to Portugal, so if necessary you should insist, and as a last resort complain.

Of course some things are done differently than elsewhere, and there have been adverse comments about food quality, hygiene issues, and lack of privacy..

How The Health System Functions

The hospitals on the island are located in Funchal, but major towns have their own Health Care facilities, and even some smaller towns have some facilities, known as the ‘Centro de Saude’. The health centre, depending on the size, will have a number of medical staff (médico/a = doctor, and enfermeiro/a = nurse). If you are making a routine visit, or are well enough to travel yourself, then you should go to your nearest ‘Centro de Saúde’ and report to the reception (if there is one), needing only to take your ‘Cartão de Utente’. If you don’t have one, take your European Health Insurance Card, or your health insurance policy, and also your passport (and Residency Permit if you have one). If you don’t have any protection, it is likely you will have to pay for any treatment.

You will need to wait until a doctor is available to see you, and if he cannot treat you, then it may be that you will be referred or transferred immediately to a hospital. Most doctors speak english very well, so a good dialogue should be possible. The doctor may give you a prescription to obtain medicine, which you will need to take to a chemist. If you need a repeat prescription, ask the receptionist at the ‘Centro de Saúde’, if possible show a copy of the previous certificate.

In the larger ‘Centro de Saude’, you will find facilities to deal with accidents and emergencies as well as the more routine problems and illnesses, and doctors will be available for longer hours.

Private Medical Insurance

If you don’t have the entitlement to use the Portuguese Health Service free then you need to ensure you have one of the other forms of protection previously mentioned. If private medical insurance is the only option open to you, for example as a non EU citizen, then you should keep it valid and present any documents at the request of medical staff.

Private Doctors

Private Doctors and Specialists are plentiful on Madeira with over two whole pages in the yellow pages in the telephone directory under ‘Médicos’. You should enquire about the cost before you agree to have treatment done.

Ambulances

You should dial 112 if you need an ambulance in an emergency, or find a listed number here bearing in mind you may be talking to the fire brigade, who provide ambulance services. Ambulance journeys can be chargeable, so if you can find your own way it may be quicker and cheaper. Road accident attendance are normally charged to the policyholder to reclaim on their vehicle insurance.

Dentists

Dental care falls outside of the Portuguese health system, so you will always need to consult a private dentist, and their services are not cheap, a fact supported by the fact that a great many Madeirans never go to the dentist, or only in the event of an emergency. You should ask the dentist about the cost before you agree to have treatment done. You will find over 30 dentists in the yellow pages of the telephone directory listed under ‘Médicos – Dentistas’.

Opticians & Eye Care

Opticians are plentiful on the island, with a shop or more in most large towns. You need to pay for everything, as they operate outside the Portuguese health system. You will probably find them very helpful if you need a screw replacing in your glasses, but if you need to buy new glasses then you might find them comparatively expensive against prices in other countries. It is possible to have an eye test and then use the prescription to order glasses on the internet or use the same prescription in another country. Likewise, it is possible to see an optician in another country to obtain a prescription and use it on Madeira. You will also find over 20 opticians in the yellow pages of the telephone directory listed under ‘Oculistas’ and several opticians advertise in the daily paper ‘The Diário’.

Chemists /  Pharmacies

Chemists / Pharmacies are well represented across the island, with around 100 listed in the yellow pages and a presence in most towns, the shops with the green cross outside. If you have a minor ailment or just need some advice, your local ‘farmácia’ may well be a good port of call, as the staff are well trained and helpful, and are able to recognise most medicinal products you may be familiar with. Chemists / pharmacies also carry large stocks of non prescription items.

Many chemists / pharmacies open in the evening, some until late at night, and there are even 24 hour chemists / pharmacies. The YELLOW PAGES directory on-line may help.

Prescriptions are issued by doctors in the health centres and hospitals, and this is taken to the pharmacy. If you have a ‘Cartão de Utente’, present that also, as it may earn you a discount on the marked price. Often the medicine prescribed may have a much cheaper generic alternative, but the pharmacist is not permitted to make a substitution. It is often worth asking for an generic alternative, as it may be available without a prescription.

Tax Concessions

Medicines and many medical expenses are tax deductable for tax payers in Portugal. Ask for and keep any receipts safe. Also medical insurance is a allowable tax deduction.

Complaints

‘ORDEM DOS MÉDICOS’ – This is the governing body covering doctors and medical facilities and specialists. You can contact them if you have a complaint about medical personnel, services and facilities on Madeira.

Complaints about public health institutions, including hospitals and health centres should be directed to the regional health administration office if they are unresolved at the point of origin.

However, you can now access an online complaints book, instead of asking for the ‘Livro de Reclamacões’, go to: Health Care Complaints Book Online

At this stage, this is only for complaints on matters of health care, but the principle is good, and hopefully it will extend to other areas. It’s certainly a lot easier than doing this in the environment where the complaint was incurred. The form is in Portuguese, but is not too hard to understand with the help of a dictionary.

DISCLAIMER – THE INFORMATION PROVIDED HERE DOES NOT CONSTITUTE PROFESSIONAL ADVICE, AND IS PROVIDED FOR BRIEF GUIDANCE ONLY, ON A BEST ENDEAVORS BASIS.

NO RESPONSIBILITY CAN BE ACCEPTED FOR THE ACCURACY OF INFORMATION SHOWN HERE, AND YOU SHOULD SEEK INDEPENDENT VERIFICATION OR PROFESSIONAL GUIDANCE. THIS PAGE WAS LAST UPDATED IN 2008.

This information sheet is copyright material – do not reproduce in part or full without written consent 

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