Clélio Meneses highlights advantages of 5G in Health - Communication

Secretaria Regional da Saúde e Desporto

The Regional Secretary for Health and Sport, Clélio Meneses, welcomed on Wednesday the investments announced by Altice in the Azores, particularly the promotion of 5G. As he emphasised, the Region "is preparing to make the most of everything that concerns the installation of adequate equipment," namely in Health.

The government official praised the possibility of using technology "and tools that enable better, faster, more efficient results in Health with a smaller margin for error," reiterating that "this is a goal of the Region towards overcoming the structural difficulties of the Regional Health Service."

Regarding the advantages of 5G, Clélio Meneses highlighted "speed, lower latency and higher data capacity." In this context, he mentioned "the possibility of direct health intervention in a patient who is on an island without a hospital and without specialists, accompanied by a specialist at a distance. This may lead to a successful intervention and with much less inconvenience for the patient, avoiding the need to travel" to another island. 

The Secretary for Health also recalled that the Region is investing, using RRP funds, about 30 million Euros in the interoperability of the system.

"There is an IT system installed in health centres, two hospitals have another IT system and one hospital even has another system, which hampers interoperability and interaction. We are going to create interoperability in the whole system so that there is no need to repeat exams and repeat information, making all the patient's information available," he said.

In this context, Clélio Meneses stated that a series of interventions are being carried out "so that patients may schedule their appointments and have access to their files as regards the medical exams to be performed. In turn, health professionals will also have greater interaction within the system."  

"These are, in fact, solid investments that will contribute to overcoming the difficulties we have identified," he said. 

"5G will be decisive, above all, for its speed and lower latency. In any case, what is being invested under the RRP, with all the procedures that are underway, can already be operated within the existing network," said the government official.