The Secretary of State for Health was in Faro today and announced a number of measures to ensure that the Algarve’s health service gets the shot in the arm it needs before the summer season swells the population.
Manuel Delgado promised 30 additional GPs to arrive in June, and presented new solutions to address the lack of nurses and clinical staff in the region.
One early move by the new government has been for patients in the Algarve to be treated in hospitals in Lisbon, but Delgado has another cunning plan which might just work.
The Ministry of Health’s idea is as follows: "Another solution to be discussed by the Algarve’s health administration is the possibility of medical teams coming down from Lisbon to work in the Algarve. Since we can’t hire people quickly, there is the possibility that teams of surgeons and anesthetists from Lisbon can come to the Algarve at certain times for two or three days at a time and operate on patients who are waiting for treatment.”
Ultimately, Manuel Delgado said there is also the possibility that "some patients can be treated privately provided they are willing and providing the quality is up to the level we want."
Delgado realises that these are short-term measures and said he would ensure that the shortage of doctors is resolved once and for all,
"We will invite tenders that create conditions for doctors in metropolitan areas to come to the Algarve. We can not put a knife to their throats to force them to come here, but we will try to create incentives that positively discriminate the option."
“If a doctor chooses to come to the Algarve, it could be that he can earn more than in Lisbon for the same work. There also is housing support that councils can provide and we can ensure enhanced career progression for those working in the region,” said Delgado.
"The Government and the Ministry of Health have a strong focus on the Algarve. It is an area deprived of human resources in healthcare. It is a gateway for many visitors who come to us and we know that the tourist flow this year will be record breaking - for these reasons the Algarve is a priority area."
The Secretary of State says that his measures attempt to "introduce a positive momentum in attracting human resources and they will begin to bear fruit as early as June" with the arrival of at least 30 new GPs.
