Under the programme to recover surgery waiting lists, 3626 surgeries have been performed in the three regional hospitals over the last three years.

Another 200 surgeries were performed in the Region by doctors from Mainland Portugal.

The implementation of the health voucher will provide an important contribution to the development of this programme, particularly after the recent amendment, introduced by the Legislative Assembly of the Azores, which allows the Regional Health to contract surgeries to private health units.

The Regional Government, in a response to a request made by the opposition at the Regional Parliament, reiterates that the cuts on preventions, implemented by regional hospitals under the cost reduction programme, have always complied with the quality and safety parameters and have also taken into account the legislation in force, without jeopardising the provision of health care to citizens.

The Azorean Government explained that in the speciality of oncology patients can always be assisted by the medical team from that department as well as by an a anaesthesiologist, particularly  for oncology pain procedures, or by internal medicine specialists for the side effects of chemotherapy.

In the area of stomatology, particularly in the case of acute pain, patients can be assisted by conventional specialities and further referred to consultations in the regular operating hours.

With regard to plastic surgery, the absence of a burn unit significantly reduces the intervention of a plastic surgeon. For situations of reattachment of amputated limbs, the orthopaedic specialists are adequately prepared to perform this procedure.

According to the legislation in force (Order 184598/2006), which defines the types of emergency, none of the three types (multipurpose, medical-surgical or basic ER) mentioned the need of providing oncology, stomatology or plastic surgery services at any level.

Moreover, the data provided by hospitals registered a monthly average of 6.1 calls in the area of oncology, 5.2 in stomatology and 0 (zero) in plastic and reconstructive surgery in the period between 12 AM and 8 AM – during which the cuts were introduced – in the first ten months of 2010.

The proposed cuts, which are in consonance with the boards of the hospitals, are the result of a total reduction of cost in the amount of 840 thousand Euros per year, being of 615 thousand Euros in the Ponta Delgada hospital, 151 thousand in the Angra do Heroísmo hospital and 74 thousand Euros in the Horta hospital.