The hospital network has 3 hospitals, which provide diverse kinds of health care
to users who directly resort to their services or who are referred by other entities
providing health care at a district level. The regional health care system is
further augmented by the Azores Oncology Centre, which strives to ensure
primary prevention, tests and early diagnoses of oncological diseases,
epidemiological vigilance activities and oncological records.
The health services are distributed over the diverse islands and have different
characteristics in terms of size and facilities offered. Preventive medicine and/or
primary health care, such as prophylaxis and consultations, are more
generalised and territorially dispersed. Facilities for curative medicine and
procedures requiring more intense care, such as when patients need to be
admitted to hospital, occur more frequently on islands which have more
specialised health care units.
In terms of factors affecting the sector, the progressive aging of the population
will have a significant impact, considering the corresponding pressure on health
care facilities. The technical and technological evolution of increasingly
sophisticated and more effective tools and means of support will also play an
important role. Both these factors will necessitate additional funds to ensure that
these resources and facilities are operational.
In this context, in the 2014-2020 period, European Union funds will be used not
just at the level of training and professional qualifications but also to provide
equipment and resources at a local level, so that patients do not need to travel
between islands and between the Azores and mainland Portugal.
There will also be an emphasis on a greater penetration of new technologies
and a greater development of existing technologies, such as at the level of
telemedicine. Another key priority is to eliminate gaps and shortcomings in the
coverage of the infrastructure network.
In reality, as has been mentioned in the 2012 Commission Communication, the
“Cohesion policy offers opportunities to invest in health infrastructure – including
telemedicine and in the training of health professionals in their OR”, an aspect
that is of fundamental importance for an archipelago such as the Azores.
In the area of health care, there will thus be an emphasis on ensuring a high
quality service, rationalising services and creating conditions for new access, in
a context of the general economic sustainability of the Regional Health Service.
Similarly, it will be necessary to adapt health care infrastructure and facilities to
the needs of the population, according to the profile of each health care unit and
considering the health care they provide, as well as to ensure that infrastructure
and facilities are suitably maintained.