Azores Health Secretary denies withholding spending data

The Regional Secretary for Health and Social Security in the Azores, Mónica Seidi, has rejected accusations from the PS/Açores party regarding a lack of transparency in healthcare spending. The Socialist Party (PS) had raised concerns over a July request for information concerning the costs of transporting healthcare professionals between islands and payments made to external service providers.

Deputy Carlos Silva of the PS argued that the delay in providing this data hinders the Regional Assembly's ability to oversee public resource management and evaluate the financial impact of professional mobility. The party seeks to understand the costs of relying on external providers and the number of professionals traveling between health units to improve regional care access.

In response, Mónica Seidi stated that the government is not hiding data but is currently aggregating information from various health institutions. She noted that most data has been compiled, with only information from the Hospital da Horta still pending. Seidi also highlighted that 250 competitive recruitment procedures have been launched between 2023 and the end of 2025 to strengthen the regional workforce.