Rio Tinto: Health center without air conditioning for a year

Anyone who enters the Rio Tinto Health Center in Gondomar immediately notices that the space is filled with fans. Currently, they are the only source of cooling. At that Family Health Unit, the air conditioning units stopped working a year ago, in the summer of 2024 .

The problem is so significant that, earlier this month, the Health Center posted a sign on its door warning that "the Gondomar City Council has been aware of this problem for a year," and that it persists. Another sign also read: "It may be necessary to consider terminating scheduled care services, as minimum safety conditions are not guaranteed." However, the signs were subsequently removed after the incident was reported in several media outlets.

The case is public knowledge and the institution that oversees the health center building is aware of it. Observador spoke with Cláudia Vieira, the councilwoman responsible for health at Gondomar City Council, who confirms that she was aware of the situation when the Family Health Unit notified her. "It was a problem that was reported to us about a year ago. At the time, the technical team that arrived was able to mitigate the problem by replacing parts, leaving the equipment functioning reasonably well. However, it's not a problem that can be resolved with a technical intervention of this nature," she explains. To resolve the issue, it will be necessary to "remove all equipment and install new equipment throughout the building." However, Cláudia Vieira emphasizes that "the equipment is working, it just doesn't have the capacity to generate the necessary cold to properly cool the rooms ."

But what's at the root of the problem? According to the health councilor, it's a "situation with a history." "We received the transfer of powers about two years ago and received buildings over 20 years old, such as this health center. These buildings hadn't received any renovation work in a long time. The air conditioning system there is precisely the same age as the building," she explains.

The City Council says it is committed to resolving the problem, but explains that "structural work" will be required, which may take some time. However, it guarantees that it is in constant contact with the Family Health Unit. "We have already met with the coordinators, the management unit, and the health center's management to explain the steps we are taking. We must comply with the public procurement process," it adds to Observador.

Patients and staff are forced to deal with intense heat, which is exacerbated by the increasingly frequent series of very hot days. There are reports of patients feeling unwell due to the high temperatures indoors. "In the email that the coordinators sent to the City Council , they reported that some people in the waiting room felt ill and uncomfortable due to the excessive heat," the councilwoman adds. Therefore, she emphasizes that she understands the "dissatisfaction of both healthcare professionals and patients" and that "if this were a simple resolution process, it would have been resolved long ago."

Summer is still midway through, and there's no sign of a solution to the problem. Currently, fans are cooling the various rooms at the Rio Tinto Health Center. However, the councilwoman herself emphasizes that "they are not a solution in terms of air conditioning for that building," explaining that "fans are a last resort to mitigate the problem."

Although there's no specific date for the air conditioning "structural work," Cláudia Vieira is certain: "We won't have a definitive solution to the problem for three months." With this in mind, the City Council is working on a winter solution. " We've already taken precautions with the heaters , because we know that, during the coldest period, we may not have the situation fully resolved," admits the councilor responsible for health.

Regarding the notice posted at the entrance to the establishment, Cláudia Vieira points out that it was placed "on the initiative of the coordinators who signed it, but that it was not communicated to the management unit, the health center's management, or the City Council." The councilor admits that, while understanding the position, she expressed "some dissatisfaction with the communication model," explaining that the City Council "never closed its doors," maintaining "very direct contact."

At the entrance to the Rio Tinto health center, patients admitted to Observador that they didn't notice any major changes in the air conditioning systems, as the fans help combat the heat. Some, however, also confirmed reports of discomfort in the waiting room caused by the high temperatures. Observador attempted to contact the Family Health Unit, but the facility's managers did not respond.