“Despite everything I still believe in human goodness” (Anne Frank)

“Despite everything I still believe in human goodness” (Anne Frank) At a time when novel lightning journalism, almost always superficial, imprecise, speculative and even manipulated (when not manipulative) occupies a large part of the media space and time, the (pseudo-journalistic) work in recent days on the SNS is a example of journalism that does not investigate with seriousness and perseverance – and that is very bad for the soul of journalism…“Ethics must always accompany journalism, as the buzz follows the beetle.” (Gabriel Garcia Marquez) We expected much more from the written, spoken and especially televised press with regard to reports on the National Health Service and in particular on obstetric emergencies. We expected them to explain why this happens suddenly and at the same time in several places in the country: last week there were doctors and not this week? Did they say goodbye? Did you have a long weekend? And only in obstetrics? And especially in Lisbon? I confess that this reminds us of old episodes, such as the births in ambulances, which ended as soon as Minister Correia de Campos left. Too many coincidences, always (or almost always) the doctors, the Ordem dos Médicos, the trade unionist Roque, with their agendas and with the private lurking. All those who dedicate themselves to the profession of journalist should know that “the journalist's mission is to inform with impartiality and rigor, it is not to uncritically reproduce the theses of third parties, however commendable they may be.” The journalistic investigation does not depend on investigations by the Medical Association or the trade unionist Roque and the independent journalist is not an acolyte of this Professional Order, trade unions or other entities. The information that enters our house daily, due to the omissions it contains, does not fulfill the mission of informing with impartiality, rigor and credibility.” “I don't want to do anyone's job, journalists have to write something and if they don't have anything real to write they make it up.” (Elvis Presley) The training of a specialist physician is long, demanding and involves multiple assessments. Without it, it would be impossible to have the high level of quality of medicine that is practiced in our country. There are six years of teaching at a medical school, one year of general training and four or six years of specialized training within the scope of the medical internship, depending on the specialty in question. A doctor fulfills a demanding stage of 11 to 15 years to acquire differentiated autonomy as a specialist doctor. The question seems simple to us, how much does it cost the public purse (from our taxes) to train a specialist doctor? What is the reason that a doctor does not have or should not reimburse, for a period of time, for example 3 years, these costs at the end of specialist training in the public health service? As a citizen who feels a great honor to be Portuguese and to have a National Health Service like ours, here I leave this “lesson” for Dr Marta Themido (Minister of Health) by Winston Churchill “The lesson is this: never give up , never never never. In nothing. Big or small, important or not. Never give up. Never surrender to force, never surrender to the seemingly overwhelming power of the enemy. ”