Azores government reports healthcare growth amid opposition warnings on waiting lists

During an urgent debate in the Azores Regional Assembly regarding the financial status of regional hospitals, Health and Social Security Secretary Mónica Seidi reported a more than 3% increase in surgical production in the first half of 2026. The Regional Health Service (SRS) performed 4,353 surgeries, while diagnostic exams and treatments rose by 3.40%, and day hospital sessions increased by 3.70%.

The regional government (PSD/CDS-PP/PPM) has identified four areas for potential savings, including human resources and logistics. Proposed measures include standardizing overtime calculations, creating a systematic inventory, installing advanced warehouses, and implementing joint procurement across the three regional hospitals to reduce direct contracting.

Opposition members from the Socialist Party (PS) criticized the current management, noting that between 2023 and 2025, the surgical waiting list grew by 26% to 13,463 users. They reported that the average waiting time increased by 24% to 484 days, while the number of operated patients fell by 14%, despite significant increases in sector funding. The PS proposed a financial sanitation plan and the restructuring of hospital management through centralized public purchasing.