Low wages and the deterioration of working conditions in the National Health Service are driving Portugal’s medical professionals to the private sector, both here and abroad.
Anesthetists, radiologists, general surgeons, orthopedic surgeons, gynecologists, ophthalmologists, clinical pathologists and pediatricians are the principal specialists sorely lacking in Portugal’s National Health Service.
Low wages, cuts in overtime and deteriorating working conditions have driven many doctors to the private sector and abroad where higher wages and better conditions are draining the country of essential medical professionals in the National Health Service.
Anesthetists earn between €1,500 and €2,300 per month in Portugal's National Health Service compared to €6,000 in the country's booming private sector. The same job abroad can see Portuguese doctors earn more than €19,000 per month.
Portugal’s Minister of Health said the Algarve is one of the regions that will have an incentive scheme to attract doctors to the region. This programme has yet to start and the Algarve is not a deprived area so should not really qualify for the national scheme.
Local MPs are concerned that the Algarve region will be left out despite the Minister’s assurances but with so many vacancies to be filled in the Algarve's public hospitals something needs to be done sooner rather than later.
Newly qualified doctors recently have been appointed to the region’s hospitals but when they have gained front line experience, despite the low local salaries, they inevitably will move on to earn the sort of amounts they have been trained to expect.
Meanwhile the demand for national health services has had 10% removed from the headline figure as this percentage now cannot afford to see a doctor, let alone buy the drugs needed to cure or stabilise their conditions.
The number of users in the Algarve without a family doctor exceeds 150,000, the most serious deficit being in the Barlavento Health Centres Group where more than half of those enrolled do not have an assigned doctor.
The Algarve therefore is the Portuguese region with the highest percentage of users without an assigned doctor.
The problem in the Algarve is exacerbated by the rise in demand from qualifying foreign visitors in the holiday season. This puts pressure on public health services in the summer months but attracting staff on temporary contracts is an uphill struggle, and one that has yet to be won.
