The first ophthalmic surgeries included in the «Care» program were carried out this Friday in Vila Real de Santo António and Olhão, thus achieving «an innovative way of sharing resources developed in partnership by the two Algarve authorities and allowing for a faster response. and close to the health problems of the citizens».
After the first month of activity, during which more than two hundred ophthalmology consultations have been carried out, the first five surgeries were carried out today and allowed the resolution of various ophthalomological problems for patients who, in some cases, had been waiting for five years for an answer or even a first consultation at the Centro Hospitalar do Algarve.
With this measure, the municipalities speed up access to health care for their citizens with lower incomes or who have difficulties in obtaining answers from the National Health Service.
For Luís Gomes, Mayor of VRSA, “this step is proof that local authorities can and should be in the forefront when it comes to health care for their populations, especially in cases where the National Health Service does not work".
“With this proximity network, we were able to resolve, in just one month, concrete health problems that had been dragging on for more than five years without any kind of response from the State and that led to the despair of our populations. These are, therefore, indicators that the program is being a success and is already a winning bet», continues the mayor.
In this first phase, the «Care» program is focused on pathologies related to the field of ophthalmology, taking into account the new increase in waiting lists in this specialty, which currently exceeds two years in the south of the country.
In just one month, more than two hundred and a half consultations have been carried out under the program, of which 50 patients have already been referred for surgery. In parallel, more than 100 home visits were also carried out in the three parishes of VRSA.
The measure makes it possible to take a step forward in the implementation of inter-municipal health care networks, developing a new model based on proximity policies that will optimize resources and respond to the real problems of the populations.
To benefit from “Care”, citizens must register with the Social Action Division of the VRSA and Olhão municipalities. It is expected that the program will serve around 100 people/month.
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