The Ministry of Health is preparing to launch «positive differentiation measures, namely in career progression, to attract and retain doctors» in the Algarve, announced the PS Parliamentary Group.
Questioned by Algarvian socialist deputy Luís Graça, in a hearing at the Parliamentary Health Commission, minister Adalberto Campos Fernandes said that he was aware of what is happening in the Algarve, at the level of the National Health Service and «has assumed the region as a priority target for his actions. Ministry".
The member of the Government revealed that an assessment is being made to the operating model of the Hospital Center of the Algarve (CHA), which should be completed by the end of the 1st semester of 2016 (March). Only then will the measures to be taken be announced.
The need to change the management model, namely the fact that the three hospitals in the Algarve are merged into a single entity, was one of the issues raised by members of the Parliamentary Health Commission who visited the region in December. But the most pressing problem is the lack of doctors in the health units in the region, taking into account the statements of the different deputies contacted at the time by the Sul Informação.
That is why this “bait” is planned, to try to convince more doctors to stay in the Algarve. This measure joins the others that had been launched by the Government led by the social democrat Pedro Passos Coelho, which, taking into account the persistence of shortage of clinicians, despite the many vacancies that have been opened, do not seem to have had the desired effect.
A perception confirmed by the president of the Southern Regional Council of the Medical Association Jaime Mendes, who considered that the measures already launched are far from being enough to convince enough doctors to come to the health units in the region.
“That didn't work. the incentives had to be greater than what was anticipated. There could be, for example, that issue of the Chambers finding houses for doctors, as happened in some places», he said.
“The problem is that the [monetary] incentive that doctors receive to settle in the Algarve or Alentejo is much smaller than that they receive if they go, for example, to France, a country that is recruiting many Portuguese. If they come here to earn a thousand and such euros, they even offer 10 euros a month. I'm not saying increase it to 10, but if there's more incentive, people always prefer to stay in their own country,” said Jaime Mendes.
What is certain is that «more than 400 doctors left Portugal, in 2015,», the year in which the peak of a “disbandment” that began a few years ago was reached and has been growing.
The head of the Medical Association also points out the need for a "good environment", namely between the administration and health professionals, something that assured not to exist.
Another way to attract clinicians to the region, defended the spokesperson of the Health Commission, following the visit to the Algarve, is the opening of more vacancies for specialization in the region. Also because there are currently around 130 inmates for whom there were no specialization vacancies, at national level.
According to Jaime Mendes, this happened because «the colleges of some specialties considered that it is not necessary to train more doctors». A decision that does not seem to be in accordance with the reality experienced in the National Health Service and that Jaime Mendes himself admits is "nonsense".
“The recommendations are consultative, but it is difficult for the Order's leadership to go against them. But we will do everything to open more vacancies», he assured.
Minister wants to create an Academic Medical Center in the Algarve
The management model for hospital units in the Algarve that will be applied in the future is still being considered, and it is not clear whether the Hospital Center of the Algarve is here to stay or if there will be a reversal of the merger operated about four years ago, with the return of Hospitals de Faro and the Barlavento Algarvio to have its own administrations.
This is a solution defended by the deputies of the Left parties, who belong to the Health Commission, including the socialist Luís Graça, elected by the Algarve, who also defended the creation of an "academic mission" to think about the sector, in region, which the tutelage promises to create.
Adalberto Campos Fernandes «announced strategic partnerships with the areas of economy and science in order to promote “virtuous coalitions” in the creation of value in areas such as scientific and biomedical research, admitting the creation of an Academic Medical Center in the Algarve, for example of what exists at the Hospital de Santa Maria, in Lisbon».
For Luís Graça, the measures announced by the minister of Health "are decisive for the recovery of the National Health Service in the region after four years of destruction of the public offer".
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