The ‘invisibles of health’: the reality of auxiliary health technicians in Portugal
Always considered the “poor relatives of health”, SAD are treated as “others”, “ants”, “invisible indispensables”. It is regrettable, but not surprising, that the media chooses to focus exclusively on doctors and nurses, ignoring the opinion and contribution of these professionals to the healthcare system.
I recently received a testimony from a Health Auxiliary Technician that reveals the depth of the contempt this group faces. On January 31, 2008, when he started a night shift, he was a Medical Action Assistant, and the next day he left as an Operational Assistant, stripped of a category and professional career that had existed for more 50 years old. Instead of resting after 24 hours of work, he began to reflect on how to reverse this unacceptable situation.
His fight didn’t stop there. After the rejection of a first political petition, he did not give up. On the second attempt, he began to address the situation of disrespect and devaluation of TAS in Portugal, a reality that does not occur in other European countries.
TAS work in multidisciplinary and multidisciplinary teams, performing functions ranging from feeding and cleaning patients to preparing operating rooms and managing clinical materials . They are also responsible for preparing patients for exams and surgeries, in addition to taking care of deaths. Even with such responsibility, they continue to be poorly paid and work under extreme conditions, often facing exhaustion and burnout.
Despite their vital role, these professionals are paid the national minimum wage and have no life beyond work. They do not spend time with their families and face significant emotional distress, especially when dealing with situations of death and hospital contamination.
It is alarming that the state allows people without any specific training to work in this area, ignoring the qualification requirement defined by ordinance 1041/2010. After 16 years of struggle, a new category and special career were finally created for TAS. However, the implementation was disastrous, with several Local Health Units (ULS) including professionals from other areas who do not have direct contact with patients.
This situation resulted in a professional group with a high average age, which was the most affected by the pandemic in terms of infections, but which never received due recognition from the media. Recently, the health emergency plan in Portugal did not listen to this group, depriving themselves of their valuable experience on the ground.
It is imperative that the government and society recognize the irreplaceable role of Auxiliary Health Technicians and grant them the respect, appreciation and working conditions they deserve. They are the right and left arm of the healthcare system, and their contribution cannot continue to be ignored.
On behalf of these professionals, I appeal to policymakers and society to pay due attention to these tireless workers who, despite their invisibility, are the foundation of our healthcare system.
