The Algarve Local Health Unit (ULS) welcomed 46 new nurses on board yesterday, to begin working in the region's public hospitals.
In a statement, the Algarve ULS says this reinforcement represents a "concrete response to the needs of nursing staff, especially in critical areas such as emergency care, surgery, and maternal health."
During the reception session, Tiago Botelho, chairman of the board of directors of ULS Algarve, welcomed the healthcare professionals.
The ULS explains that these hires are the result of a recruitment initiative launched a few months ago. However, it says they are not sufficient to meet all needs, leaving the healthcare institution open to hiring more professionals. "If people are available to work with us, we are open to hiring," it emphasised.
"We have other expressions of interest from professionals still in this program, who may eventually sign contracts. Before these professionals joined, others had already been hired, albeit in smaller numbers," Botelho explained.
This opinion is shared by nursing director, José Vieira dos Santos. "We live in a region of the country with a shortage of nurses. Hiring this number of nurses is crucial to strengthen our teams and meet some of our current needs," he said.
The ULS Algarve say they has been adopting a policy of strengthening human resources, with the continued opening of recruitment pools and competitive procedures, available on the institution's official website. "The objective is to mitigate persistent shortages, especially in the most stressed areas of the regional healthcare system."
