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Portugal´s only registered non-profit crime prevention and civil protection association providing dedicated information and support services to the community
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Newsletter - February 2nd 2021
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Editors Note
Apologies, the first edition of this Newsletter carried an incorrect link, which some readers may have found confusing.
This error as now been corrected.
Kind regards
Jennie Kelly, Newsletter Editor
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Welcome
With the launch of Phase one of the Covid-19 vaccination program by Government, it is important that those who are registered on the SNS system with their Centro de Saúde, but use private doctors, update your records now.
Safe Communities has been liaising with the health authorities and have helped in providing information to assist those in the Phase One group.
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David Thomas, MBE
President
Safe Communities Portugal
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These visits should not be necessary as the system is centralised and the record updates can normally be performed by your private doctor.
Please see the details in this newsletter
Stay safe and healthy
David Thomas
President, Safe Communities Portugal
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Phase One Covid-19 Vaccinations – Official process in updating your SNS Records
This is applicable for those registered on the SNS system with your Centro de Saúde, but use private doctors.
Those who are already attending their Centro de Saúde will be contacted through SMS ahead of the vaccination.
For those using private doctors, it is important that the Centro de Saúde is up to date with your records to ensure those entitled for vaccination, as scheduled under Phase one, are done so.
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Those in Phase One are:
From February 2021:
- People aged ≥50 years, with at least one of the following pathologies:
- Cardiac insufficiency
- Coronary heart disease
- Renal failure (Glomerular Filtration Rate <60ml / min)
- (COPD) or chronic respiratory disease under ventilator support and / or long-term oxygen therapy
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The Process Through SNS
1. Use the following link (application form) and add your SNS Numero de Utente (User number), your full name and date of birth, which identifies persons in risk groups by age and comorbidities in Phase 1, who are not followed in the NHS, and who must obtain a medical statement attesting to their inclusion in Phase 1 in order to allow automatic scheduling of vaccination against Covid-19 in an ACES (Centro de Saúde).
You will then see a confirmation in Portuguese which states (English translation):
“You should contact your attending physician to issue an electronic declaration through the Electronic Medical Prescription (PEM) system, attesting that you are over 50 years old and have one of the comorbidities that justifies you to be vaccinated in Phase 1”
2. You then visit your private doctor who makes a declaration, through the Electronic Medical Prescription, and the user is informed by text message (SMS). This is an upload directly onto the PEM system and you do not have to visit your Centro de Saúde with your updated records. Ensure your doctor has all your up to date contact details.
3. Wait until you are contacted.
It is not possible to request the appointment of your vaccine to Covid-19. You will be contacted by the National Health Service for this purpose. We appreciate that you wait and do not contact SNS 24 for this reason.
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VACCINATION SCHEDULING MODEL
1. Vaccination units schedule users for vaccination
2. Vaccination units choose the means and method of contact:
Means and Methods of contact:
1 SMS (from this number -2424) - Preferred channel
2 Telephone contact - When the vaccination unit considers it appropriate, in particular because there is no mobile phone contact or the SMS is unanswered, even after insistence
3 Letter - When no telephone contact is available
3. The appointment is made for the first available date from the 5th following day
4. On the eve of the scheduled day, a reminder will be sent by SMS to all users to be vaccinated
5. This scheduling and convening system enters the testing phase on 20th January and will be progressively extended to the whole country as of 4th February
We have translated this and it can be downloaded in English here
Please note this is for Phase One only - Similar arrangements will be for Phase 2 in due course.
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EXAMPLE - SMS SCHEDULING AND MESSAGES:
Sent a message, by SMS, to the user with a proposal of date, time and place of vaccination, example:
“COVID19: Vacinação 0X/02/2021 as 09:00 na USF XXXX. Responda: SNS. NUMERO UTENTE. SIM/NÃO ate XX.fev Ex: SNS.111111111. SIM /SNS”
(COVID19: Vaccination 0X/02/2021 at 09:00 at USF XXXX. Reply: SNS. USER NUMBER. YES/NO until XX. Fev Ex: SNS. 111111111. YES
/SNS)
Reminder message, by SMS, example
“COVID19: Nao se esqueca. Vai ser vacinado amanha as 09:00 na USF XXXX.
/SNS”
(COVID19: Do not forget. You will be vaccinated tomorrow at 09:00 at USF XXXX.
/SNS)
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Thank You
I thank our volunteer team members, who are involved with the Covid-19 work namely: Clare, Daniel, Elise, Eliana, Fernanda, Jane, Jennie, Jenny, Louise, Mike, and Sven, plus our key players who help keep the association running: Carlos, Colin, Jim, Lilia, Peter and Raoul.
Stay Safe everyone.
David Thomas
President
Safe Communities Portugal
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A Reminder - Social distancing, hygiene and the wearing of face masks are the best ways to prevent the spread of the disease.
If you know others who would like to obtain our newsletter free of charge click here
Lastly we thank all our sponsors (listed at the end of this newsletter) who help keep Safe Communities going and developing.
David Thomas
President
Safe Communities Portugal
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Volunteers needed to help our team with Covid-19
Monitor the news in Portugal and give us reports. Would you like to help us?
SCP can only publish correct and confirmed information. This means that we have great demands on both our sources and our volunteers.
Lastly we are looking for volunteers who have experience in either analysis or research type work who are used to valuing news and facts, to supplement our team during this period of crisis.
Precisely we need help in supplementing our team providing short daily situation reports for events happening in Portugal
You must also be able to write good English. If you feel you are the right person and want to contribute under Covid-19, send us a message here please with a brief description of your experience.
Together we can help keep the community in Portugal up to date!
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IF YOU ARE PLEASED WITH OUR SERVICES PLEASE MAKE A DONATION
During the coronavirus our team of volunteers have worked 7 days a week to provide you with the best news and advice.
We do not receive or expect payment of these services as that is the nature of our work as a non-profit volunteer association
However we have incurred extra costs through upgrades to website, translation work, printing and administrative costs for example.
Your generosity by making a donation to help maintain and further develop the work of the association and thereby help keep Portugal a safe place to live and visit would be appreciated. Any amount helps.
Three ways to make a donation Please visit our donation page here with all the details and how money is spent
Paypal - If you would like to make a donation through Paypal please visit our donation page and click on the "Paypal donate" button.
By cheque - If you wish to donate by cheque the bank account name is "Associacao SCP Safe Communities Portugal" and cheques can be posted to Caixa 207-Z, Alfontes, Boliqueime, 8100-062, Algarve.
By interbank transfer - If you wish to donate through inter- bank transfer please use the same name with the following account details NIB 0033 0000 4542 9864 44705.
All donations should be marked "Donation for crime prevention". Thank you.
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How your friends can obtain up to date Crime Prevention advice
Please pass on details of Safe Communities Portugal to neighbours and friends so they to can benefit from the up to date crime prevention advice. Simply ask them to click on this link to obtain the latest newsletter: This is a free service.
David Thomas, MBE
President
Safe Communities Portugal
2nd February 2021
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Thank you to all of our sponsors:
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