Mónica Seidi says goal in Health is to put “every Azorean at the heart of decisions and care” - Communication

Secretaria Regional da Saúde e Segurança Social

The Regional Secretary for Health and Social Security, Mónica Seidi, stated today that the Azorean Government's commitment to health in 2026 is to promote an "accessible, faster and humane system that integrates technology and places each Azorean at the heart of decisions and care."

"This is the path chosen, combining the opportunities provided by the RRP, which will enable the Regional Health Service (SRS) to modernise, differentiate and become competitive and attractive for retaining health professionals," she stated.

Mónica Seidi spoke at the Legislative Assembly of the Autonomous Region of the Azores, in Horta, on the second day of debate on the proposals for next year's Plan and Budget.

In addition, CT scanners will be purchased for the Horta Hospital and the São Jorge Island Health Unit, and X-ray machines on the islands of Corvo, Flores, São Jorge, Pico, and São Miguel will be replaced.

“With the RRP, the political choice of this Government was to replace all the obsolete equipment left behind by more than two decades of socialist governance. Against facts, there are no arguments! And that is not, nor can it be perceived as irrelevant," she added. 

Mónica Seidi also stated that the Investment Plan for 2026 includes four different programmes to reduce waiting lists for surgical and non-surgical specialities. Regarding surgery in general, the Regional Health Service, in October 2025, "increased the average number of patients undergoing surgery since May 2024 by 11%."

She continued: "Between May and December 2024, the increase in the number of patients registered with the HDES stood at 2.4%. In 2025, between January and October, we reduced this increase by half, to 1.2%. Thanks to the commitment of our healthcare professionals, we are recovering! However, we want to respond more quickly to those who are waiting, hence the significant increase in funding for the Health Voucher and Cirurge."

As for the Hospital do Divino Espírito Santo (HDES), which was destroyed by fire in 2024, its future "is being decided, following the legal procedures required by the Central Administration of the Health System."

"The analysis committee meets weekly, as it is a technically complex and time-consuming process. A clear preference has already been identified for one of the functional programmes, which generally provides for the refurbishment of the current building, the expansion of the Emergency Department/Intensive Care Unit, the outpatient area and new areas for logistics. But the new HDES will not just be concrete. It is also necessary to differentiate the response to our users. Evidence of this is the possibility of acquiring a PET scanner, aimed mainly at cancer patients, which is expected to save more than €500,000 per year by avoiding travel outside the Region," stated Mónica Seidi. 

Furthermore, she continued, recent investment in HDES "is already yielding results."  This is demonstrated by the fact that, in 2026, a position was created for the first time for the medical speciality of emergency medicine, which operates at the Modular Hospital. "There was even a recent visit by the College of Intensive Care Medicine to the service that also operates at the Modular Hospital, which highlighted the organisational, care and material developments, awarding it two specialist vacancies for 2026."

"We know exactly where we are and where we want to go. In health, this Government will deliver a new and modern HDES as part of its legacy," she continued.

In the area of addictive behaviours, regional policies are aligned with national, European and other international strategies. The Azores Task Force, "which some have criticised," has played a decisive role.

She explained: "As a result of this work and thanks to the efforts of various stakeholders at a regional level, we have managed to ensure that next year it will be possible to criminalise the NEP substance, with prison sentences for offenders."

“By 2026, we also want to strengthen the capacity of partners in the sector who work directly in the area of prevention and treatment. The Regional Government has already agreed with the Health Centres on the daily rates for addictive behaviours and mental health for the next four years. For 2026, the daily rate will increase by 10% for mental health and 11% for addictive behaviours, after several years of being frozen by the socialist government," stressed the Regional Secretary. 

As for Private Social Solidarity Institutions IPSS), and given the "delicate situation they are currently facing," due to delays in payments from the National Government, "every effort will continue to be made to ensure that the IGF transfers the outstanding amount from the cooperation agreement to ISSA."

"Next year, we will increase capacity in several areas: support for senior citizens, people with special needs, and children, with more than 240 new places on the islands of Graciosa, São Miguel, Flores, and Pico. There are nine projects. Over 240 vacancies. And over 1.6 million Euros in funding for our institutions."

Regarding the New Elderly programme, implemented by the XIII Government of the Azores and continued by the current administration, it has already covered 519 elderly Azoreans, and its success is "unquestionable."

She concluded: "We have brought forward the target date to September 2025, and we will be able to extend it to 2026 with funding from the RRP."

Related press release: Speech by the Regional Secretary for Health and Social Security