AZORES | Clélio Meneses presided over signing of contracts with new doctors on São Miguel Island
The Regional Secretary for Health and Sport, Clélio Meneses, presided over the signing ceremony of contracts between seven new doctors of general and family medicine and the São Miguel Island Health Unit (USISM).
Clélio Meneses welcomed the new professionals joining the Regional Health Service. On the occasion, he added that they will work on the island of São Miguel, especially “in the areas most in need, such as Nordeste, Povoação, Ginetes and Maia, providing a closer, faster and more effective response in the context of primary health care.”
The government official also stated that he has determined “the full reevaluation of the lists of health users without family doctor” on the island of São Miguel,” as there are health users who officially have a family doctor, but, in fact, have none.”
“Only then will it be possible to identify the accurate percentage of people with a family doctor,” he reiterated.
Clélio Meneses also pointed out that the seven new doctors will allow the immediate allocation of another two doctors, “who will no longer be family doctors,” to a new service that has been provided by the São Miguel Island Health Unit “in terms of palliative care.”
The Regional Secretary for Health also revealed that the São Miguel Island Health Unit will provide “even before next winter” an urgent care service at its headquarters in Ponta Delgada. According to him, “it will be intended for situations of mild and moderate severity so as to ensure a multiplicity of responses,” leaving the hospital free “to provide proper hospital services.”
Clélio Meneses recalled that the urgent care service is already available in other municipalities of São Miguel. He pointed out the example of the Vila Franca do Campo Health Centre, where “most health users are not from the municipality. In fact, there are people from other municipalities who go there instead of going to the hospital, precisely because they are aware that their situation is not serious enough to require hospital care.”
In addition to the urgent care service, the government official recalled that the São Miguel Island Health Unit already provides extra consultation services between 5 pm and 10 pm, which is a response to 30 patients on a daily basis. In this regard, he considered that “the cessation of the urgent care service in Ponta Delgada, 10 years ago, to congregate services in the hospital was a mistake.”
GRA/RÁDIOILHÉU
