Regional Secretary for Health and Social Security highlights 95% GP coverage rate in Ponta Delgada - Communication

Secretaria Regional da Saúde e Segurança Social

The Regional Secretary for Health and Social Security, Mónica Seidi, took part in the ceremony celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Ponta Delgada Health Centre on Wednesday, which she considered to be "a moment to assess, but also to renew our commitment to the future of primary healthcare in Ponta Delgada."

“It has been 10 years of history, challenges and sustained growth, without ever forgetting the path already travelled and the responsibility for the much that still needs to be achieved,” the government official stated, congratulating the São Miguel Island Health Unit for the progress made since 2016.

In her assessment, Mónica Seidi highlighted the significant improvement in key healthcare indicators. GP coverage has increased from around 60% to 95% over the last 10 years, reflecting a clear improvement in access to healthcare. The number of medical consultations grew by approximately 36%, from 160,000 to 218,000 annually, while nursing consultations increased by about 19%, reaching more than 203,000. Psychology consultations recorded a significant growth of more than 338%, from just over 1,000 to around 3,900.

"This growth is only possible since the true foundation of this institution is its human resources, who demonstrate their commitment daily and provide users with an increasingly humanised and patient-centred experience," he stated.

Over the last decade, the Ponta Delgada Health Centre has seen an overall growth of about 8% in human resources, with special emphasis on medical and nursing staff. By 2026, the unit will have 21 more doctors and 27 more nurses than in 2016.

Mónica Seidi also highlighted the relevant role of the Ponta Delgada Health Centre on São Miguel Island, both due to its size (among a total of 152,151 users registered with the São Miguel Island Health Unit, 80, 608 are registered with the Ponta Delgada Health Centre) and its direct collaboration with other areas within the health system. In this regard, she mentioned the coordination of responses to emergencies without clinical severity criteria with the Divino Espírito Santo Hospital (HDES), covering around 30,000 users since June 2024.

Regarding the future, the government official stated that 2026 will be a particularly demanding year, when it will be essential to ensure compliance with the goals set out in the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP). As part of this investment, the São Miguel Island Health Unit will reinforce its operational capacity by acquiring, among other equipment, a new X-ray device, two spirometers, five dental chairs, 20 vehicles, 105 computers and five laptops.

On the occasion, the Regional Secretary also acknowledged the Board of Directors of the São Miguel Island Health Unit, a structure comprising six health centres and 26 health outposts, which is also responsible for the Pneumology Diagnostic Centre and the Public Health Unit. She stressed that "while recognising that there are aspects to be improved, the results of these 10 years deserve recognition and make us enthusiastic about the future."