In the wake of endless protests over lack of manpower and conditions, the government has finally announced that it is making 1234 places available for young doctors up and down the country.
Despite the fact that the number itself looks like it has been pulled out of a hat, the country’s association of doctors has said it simply isn’t enough.
“According to our calculations, on the basis of the ‘extra hours and hirings’ through temporary service agencies, around 5,500 (new) doctors are needed in Portugal”, head of the association Miguel Guimarães told Correio da Manhã.
Nevertheless, the extra hands “will improve response” of the State health service even if they don’t go all the way to filling the gaps, he agreed.
The issue now is how soon can these doctors come on board.
According to the government, they should be in place by the end of September.
Guimarães queries this, and says recruitment should have come a lot sooner.
As to numbers, the hospitals of Lisbon Central, Coimbra, Évora and the Algarve are those with “the most vacancies”, says CM. Whether they get filled or not is the big question.
The areas around Lisbon and the coastal north however are hiring the most ‘young doctors’: with 239 and 495 places respectively.
Secretary of State for health Fernando Araújo has said the plan is to “attract doctors that are outside the SNS health service”, ie newly qualified, or even from other countries.
Financial incentives for “areas in need” (of which the Algarve is one) will also be offered.
But how successful the programme will be is the question. The Algarve has repeatedly failed to attract doctors, in spite of financial (and other) incentives.
As to the job specifications of the 1234 vacancies, 839 are for hospitals, 378 for ‘general medicine’ and 17 for public health, say reports.
By natasha.donn@algarveresident.com
Article by kind permission of the Portugal Resident
