The Order of Physicians presents a set of proposals to attract and retain health professionals in areas with the greatest recruitment difficulties, including the Algarve. The study, coordinated by the president Carlos Cortes, identifies 11 areas with retention difficulties: the Azores, Beja, Bragança, Castelo Branco, Évora, Faro, Guarda, Madeira, Portalegre, Vila Real, and Viseu. The Order warns that Portugal has too often responded with "scattered, temporary, and reactive measures" to the difficulties in retaining doctors in these regions.
Among the proposed measures are protocols between the Ministry of Health and municipalities to guarantee minimum material conditions, including housing at controlled costs, rehabilitation of municipal properties, local tax benefits, and access to cultural and sports facilities. The study also advocates partnerships with the business sector to support the professional integration of doctors' spouses, often a determining factor in the decision to settle in an area.
The document also proposes the creation of reserved places for inland doctors in postgraduate training programs, with specific funding, and that residency positions be recognized as territorial priority positions, with curricular and salary valuation. The Order also suggests the creation of integrated referral networks between hospitals, universities, and research centers, as well as differentiated indicators for health units serving aging, dispersed, or vulnerable populations.
In terms of financial incentives, the study proposes progressive salary increases, loyalty bonuses, installation rewards, housing support, and tax benefits in income tax and property tax. It also advocates professional valorization through the increase in service time for career progression, facilitated access to training, and additional vacation days. The Order emphasizes that "geography cannot determine access to a doctor" and that the report constitutes a challenge for political decision-makers, health institutions, municipalities, and universities.
