The President of the Government opened today the new Ponta Delgada Health Centre, an investment of about 16.5 million Euros designed and located to better serve the Azorean population. It will maintain the same relation with all health units in the municipality.

"It should be noted that the services rendered by Ponta Delgada Health Centre until the entry into operation of the new facilities were being provided by four buildings spread across the city of Ponta Delgada."The need to improve this aspect was evident and will benefit the Azoreans who use these services," said Vasco Cordeiro.

The President of the Government spoke at the opening of the new infrastructure, located next to Ponta Delgada Hospital and already covered by the municipal minibus service. In this regard, he reminded that the possibility of building the new Health Centre in the facilities of the former hospital in Campo de São Francisco would be more expensive than the construction of a new building.

"This new building also bring the additional advantage for the users of Ponta Delgada Health Centre will have the convenience and comfort of a single building that covers all the services they need, from the scheduling of a consultation or test to the processing of reimbursements to which they are entitled," said Vasco Cordeiro.

At the occasion, Vasco Cordeiro also announced that this year, the Government will open a RIAC office - Integrated Citizen Support Network in the city centre of Ponta Delgada, thus providing an effective contribution to the revitalisation of the city through the installation of these Regional Administration services.

"But, beyond that, I take the liberty to urge the Ponta Delgada City Hall to, within its powers, seize the opportunities arising from the Azores 2020 Operational Programme, namely the Community funds available for that purpose, as other municipalities from other islands have already done. It should also present the essential strategic plan for urban revitalisation in order to benefit from the support granted for this purpose," said the President of the Government.

On behalf of the Government of the Azores, Vasco Cordeiro assured his availability to, under the Azores 2020 Operational Programme, analyse and, subsequently, support the implementation of the measures defined by the City Hall within the exercise of its powers.

Moreover, the President of the Government assured, however, that the new Ponta Delgada Health Centre will continue to maintain the same relation with the all health units in the municipality. The opening of the new facilities will not close any health unit in the villages of Ponta Delgada.

"The decision was not taken now. In fact, it was taken even before the first stone was laid for the construction of the Health Centre, more precisely in September 2013 under the Action Plan for the Restructuring of the Regional Health Service," said the government official.

The President of the Government also addressed a word of recognition to the thousands of professionals from several areas who daily work in the various health units that make up the Regional Health Service.

"If it is true that public investments, like the we open today, are important tool for the provision of a quality service, it is also true that the increase in productivity registered in the Regional Health Service is primarily due to the effort of all those who work in this sector," stressed the President of the Government.

In this regard, Vasco Cordeiro revealed that the São Miguel Health Unit provided a total of 148 thousand consultations in 2012 and the figure grew to more than 165 thousand in 2015.The increase in productivity was registered throughout the archipelago.

The overall number of consultations provided by all regional health centres grew from 330 thousand in 2012 to 380 thousand in 2015, corresponding to an increase of 50,000 consultations.

The new Ponta Delgada Health Centre has the conditions to provide a response to the following services: General Practice, Maternal Health, Child and School Health, Oral Health, Health Promotion, Social and Psychological Support, Rehabilitation Care and Occupational Health; the latter deserves special attention since it is the first health centre in the Region to provide this service.