Regional Government strengthens proximity and humanisation in healthcare - Communication

Secretaria Regional da Saúde e Segurança Social

The Regional Secretary for Health and Social Security, Mónica Seidi, attended the opening session of the III Conference on Psychosocial Support for Displaced Patients, which took place at the Angra do Heroísmo Interpretation Centre. The initiative, promoted by the House of the Azores of the North, in collaboration with the Azores Patients' Friends League, provided a space for reflection and sharing, where the technical aspects of care intersect with empathy, closeness and a sense of belonging.

In her speech, Mónica Seidi highlighted the main public policies developed by the Regional Government in support of displaced patients, emphasising the strengthening of proximity in healthcare. Among the measures implemented, she stressed the significant increase in the number of health professionals travelling to islands without hospitals, which grew by 23% between 2019 and November 2025, corresponding to approximately 380 trips.

Despite this effort to bring healthcare closer to the population, the government official acknowledged that the reality of an archipelago region also entails a movement in the opposite direction, making it essential to transfer patients from islands without hospitals to those with hospital facilities.

In this regard, the Regional Secretary revealed that, since 2021, 43,000 Azorean patients and 29,000 accompanying persons have been transferred to hospitals on the islands of Terceira, Faial and São Miguel, representing an investment of €4 million in daily allowances.

Mónica Seidi also praised the role of the Azores Patients' Friends League as a partner of the Regional Health Service, highlighting not only its clinical intervention but also the social support provided to users, a component she considered crucial to the success of the overall response to displaced patients.

Regarding the situation at the three regional hospitals, the Regional Secretary stated that, since 2021, more than 25,000 patients and 22,000 accompanying persons have been transferred, mainly to Lisbon but also to Porto and Coimbra. These transfers represent an investment of approximately €24 million in daily allowances paid by the Regional Government, with an additional €5.3 million under the Special Supplement for Oncological Patients (CEDO).

“More than numbers, we are talking about Regional Health Service users. It is on them that we focus our action and political decision-making,” stated the Regional Secretary.

The government official also emphasised that the support model for patients transferred to Mainland Portugal is based on a hybrid model, integrating a dedicated service in Lisbon, under the supervision of the Regional Secretariat for Health, and a protocol established in Porto with a partner of excellence, the House of the Azores of North. 

Finally, Mónica Seidi announced that a tender procedure is underway, as part of the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP), for the development of a new IT platform dedicated to displaced patients. This initiative aims to eliminate the use of paper-based displacement credentials, thereby modernising and simplifying the entire process.