Detected irregularities at the low of PSP agents highlighted for football games

The General Inspection of Health Activities (IGAS) detected irregularities in the certificates of the PSP’s casualties highlighted for three football games in February last year, but concluded that there was no falsehood or “complacency” of doctors.

At stake are the medical casualties passed to PSP agents who were highlighted for the Famalicão-Sporting (February 3) and Leixões National and Feirense-Academic of Viseu (both February 4), which did not attend medical certificates.

At the time, the act raised suspicions of a concerted protest and led to the opening of inquiries by police forces, Igas and General Inspection of Internal Administration (IGAI).

In the context, the procedures followed in the issuance of 92 temporary disability certificates, two medical statements, a statement of presence and a self-declaration of illness, according to a note from Igas, released on Tuesday and quoted by the Lusa agency.

Although most were issued correctly, formal irregularities were found in ten temporary disability certificates and a medical statement related to the insufficiency or lack of clinical records (seven cases).

« The issuance of temporary disability certificates with a date of commencement prior to the examination was another situations detected in four cases, » Igas says, adding that two temporary disability certificates whose issuance would be associated with accidents in service were also identified, which would eventually be confirmed in contradiction by PSP.

The conclusion, despite the irregularities, was that it did not have existed “false document or compliance with the issuance of a certificate”. However, Igas issued some recommendations:

• The doctor “must fully fill the certificate of temporary disability in a legibly and noticeable manner, with all the necessary elements”,
• In the event that the doctor is faced with an inability to disease prior to the examinations, it must declare in the document that attests to the incapacity to start the disease, according to the patient.
• If the patient has examinations or statements by other clinician attesting to the disease, the doctor should always examine the person concerned and record the clinical proceedings that justify the issuance of the certificate of temporary disability or the certificate.