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The Ministry of Health has opened 225 vacancies for general and family doctors, but their distribution is leaving the ULS “perplexed”.
Last Friday, the Central Administration of the Health System (ACSS) announced the number of vacancies it made available for each Local Health Unit. However, the National Federation of Doctors (FNAM) is not happy.
Joana Bordalo and Sápresident of FNAM, points out the problems that arise from the reduced number of vacancies for General and Family Medicine: it is highly inconsistent with the great needs of users. In an interview with , he also says that the competitions are carried out by the ULS themselves, but require authorization.
In the case, for example, of ULS de Almada-Seixal (ULSAS), which asked for 14 vacancies to be opened for this specialty, and only 1 was awarded. Problem: there are 38 thousand users of this ULS without a family doctor.
The ULSAS doctor Ana Catarina Soares says that the decision is “completely inappropriate to the real needs of the population and professionals who face significant challenges daily to guarantee quality care”. He calls for “the review of the number of vacancies to be allocated”, as ULS felt “perplexity and concern” with the ACSS announcement.
In the second season of 2024, there were 75 doctors completing the specialty of General and Family Medicine. Three doctors who finished their specialty in the second season at ULSAS they intended to stayand this was not allowed.
For Joana Bordalo e Sá, from FNAM, there would be no problem in opening extra vacancies. “We know that many vacancies will remain unfilled, but if the ULS cannot open them, people cannot compete” he notes. He accuses the health authorities of “incompetence or repeated blocking“.
There are less worrying cases, but which also fell far short of expectations. ULS Tâmega e Sousa, for example, asked for 11 places and was only entitled to one, but in this hospital, he guarantees, all users have a family doctor.
