The Order of Doctors presents this Friday in Guarda a study with proposals to counter the shortage of doctors in underserved areas, warning that Portugal has responded "too many times with piecemeal, temporary and reactive measures" to the difficulties of retaining these professionals in territories with low population density.
The study, coordinated by the president Carlos Cortes with the collaboration of doctors from various specialties, identified 11 areas with difficult doctor placement: the Azores, Beja, Bragança, Castelo Branco, Évora, Faro, Guarda, Madeira, Portalegre, Vila Real and Viseu.
Among the proposed measures, protocols between the Ministry of Health and municipalities stand out to create minimum material conditions for installation, including access to housing at controlled costs, local tax benefits and support for the professional integration of spouses. The document also proposes the creation of reserved positions for inland doctors in postgraduate training, recognition of residency positions as priority, and the creation of differentiated evaluation indicators for units serving aging or dispersed populations.
The report also includes a set of financial and tax incentives, such as progressive salary increases, loyalty bonuses, installation awards and benefits in income tax and property tax, as well as professional appreciation through service time bonuses for career advancement and schedule flexibility. The Order of Doctors emphasizes that "geography cannot determine access to a doctor" and considers the document a challenge directed at political decision-makers, health institutions, municipalities, universities and society in general.
