Regional Health Service welcomes 71 new doctors into general and specific medical internships
Angra do Heroísmo
Secretaria Regional da Saúde e Segurança Social
The Regional Secretary for Health and Social Security, Mónica Seidi, congratulated today the 71 medical interns who are beginning their general and specific training this month in the Autonomous Region of the Azores, thereby reinforcing the training and care capacity of the Regional Health Service.
In 2026, 40 doctors will undertake a year of general training, distributed across the three regional hospitals, which will also include placements at local health centres.
Regarding specific training, 31 doctors were placed in the Region, distributed among the Divino Espírito Santo Hospital (17), Santo Espírito Hospital of Terceira Island (two), São Miguel Island Health Unit (10) and Terceira Island Health Unit (two).
It should be noted that, for the first time, the Santo Espírito Hospital of Terceira Island admitted interns into the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and Paediatrics specialities, while the Divino Espírito Santo Hospital admitted its first intern into Emergency Medicine.
According to the Regional Secretary for Health and Social Security, increasing medical training in the Region is part of a broader strategy to enhance the Regional Health Service.
"This is the path we have chosen, combining the opportunities provided by the Recovery and Resilience Plan, which will enable the Regional Health Service to modernise, distinguish itself and become more competitive and attractive for retaining health professionals," emphasised Mónica Seidi.
Mónica Seidi acknowledged that the Autonomous Region of the Azores faces a strategic challenge when it comes to increasing and stabilising the number of doctors in the Regional Health Service in a sustainable manner.
"Attracting doctors to the Region is a priority that requires a joint and coordinated effort involving the Regional Government, the National Government, educational institutions, professional associations and social partners," stated the government official.
The Regional Government reiterates its commitment to continue investing in public policies that value health professionals, institutional dialogue, and the development of sustainable solutions for the future of the Regional Health Service. The government official recalled some of the measures currently in force in the Region aimed at attracting and retaining human resources: a differentiated increase in the salaries of doctors on islands without hospitals, and even the fact that the Region benefits from a reduction in direct taxes for taxpayers (personal Income Tax and VAT).
The Regional Secretary ended with a message for the doctors who are now starting their internship in the Azores, highlighting how important their choice is, as "choosing the Region is not only the beginning of a demanding career path, but also a key contribution to the future health of the Azorean people."
