Press release - Communication

Secretaria Regional da Saúde e Segurança Social

As publicly declared by the Regional Government in 2023, a commitment enshrined in Article 11 of the 2024 Regional Budget, workers hired on an unfixed-term employment contract under the covid-19 pandemic would be integrated into the Regional Health Service staff following a simplified recruitment procedure.

The Regional Secretariat for Health and Social Security recalled that this rule was unanimously approved after the vote on the draft Plan and Budget on May 24, 2024.

As it is known, hiring workers under the Labour Code to work in EPER hospitals always depends on a recruitment procedure. 

Accordingly, the procedures adopted by hospitals and Island Health Units (USI) to settle employment contracts signed under the covid-19 pandemic are those provided for in Article 11 of the 2024 Budget.

It is important to stress that, in compliance with the legally established procedures, the various services are at different stages to complete the process by the end of this year, as publicly announced. At Flores USI, for example, these workers' contracts will be signed on November 25.

Given the significant number of workers, whose list is in the approval phase, the Divino Espírito Santo Hospital (HDES) in Ponta Delgada is the one that still requires the most time to complete the process, namely due to the verification of the minimum qualifications of the respective workers for their integration.

The Regional Government is complying with the rules of Article 11 of the 2024 Budget, unanimously approved by all parties with parliamentary seats. Therefore, the accusation from the largest opposition party of any violation of the law regarding the covid-19 contracts is false.