Azorean Government increases medical specialist visits to islands and commits to Hepatitis C micro-elimination - Communication

Secretaria Regional da Saúde e Segurança Social

The Regional Secretary for Health and Social Security, Mónica Seidi, highlighted today in Angra do Heroísmo the increased movement of medical specialists to islands without hospitals and the development of a project to eliminate hepatitis C in the Autonomous Region of the Azores – two initiatives aimed at improving access to healthcare and strengthening prevention and early diagnosis.

She spoke at the opening session of the 41st Annual Meeting of the District Hospitals’ Gastroenterology Group, which took place at the Angra do Heroísmo Cultural and Conference Centre, bringing together healthcare professionals to share knowledge and discuss the main challenges facing this speciality.

In her address, Mónica Seidi emphasised the importance of ensuring local healthcare provision, particularly in an archipelago region where geographical dispersion requires solutions tailored to the needs of the population.

In this context, she highlighted the model whereby specialist gastroenterologists travel to islands without a hospital, which ensures the provision of specialist consultations and exams, avoiding unnecessary travel for patients and contributing to equitable access to healthcare.

In 2025, gastroenterology specialists carried out 23 visits, resulting in 1,355 consultations and 2,406 exams. In 2026, there were 13 visits, 828 consultations and 1,311 exams, demonstrating the continuity of this healthcare response.

The Regional Secretary emphasised that “this model is based on the coordination among the three regional hospitals and island health centres, enabling the effective use of available human resources and bringing specialist care closer to the population.”

Another key topic highlighted was the development of a project aimed at the micro-elimination of hepatitis C in the Azores, as part of a collaboration with the pharmaceutical industry through the FOCUS project.

The initiative aims to promote a targeted approach to specific population groups, strengthening the early identification of hepatitis C infections and facilitating the referral of patients for appropriate assessment and treatment.

Mónica Seidi emphasised that “prevention, early diagnosis and timely intervention are fundamental tools for improving health outcomes,” stressing the importance of developing community-based strategies capable of reaching populations facing greater difficulties in accessing healthcare.