The Regional Secretary for Health reiterated today that the Divino Espírito Santo Hospital in Ponta Delgada has all the conditions of efficiency to carry out all minor surgeries.
 
"The centralisation of minor surgeries at Divino Espírito Santo Hospital is a step that has been taken for several years, since 2012. We have registered an increase of production in terms of minor surgeries," said Rui Luís. The government official spoke at the ed of hearing at the Committee on Social Affairs of the Legislative Assembly.
 
The Secretary for Health was heard under an initiative of PSD proposing the opening of small surgery rooms at Ponta Delgada and Ribeira Grande Health Centre. In this regard, he revealed that the data on minor surgery production at Divino Espírito Santo Hospital increased 15% in 2017 and 30% during this year.
 
Questioned about the increase in the waiting time for minor surgery, Rui Luís pointed out that the "list has been increasing, but this is so because there is greater accessibility, i.e., there are more specialty consultations in which patients require minor surgery."
 
The Regional Secretary stated that the Ribeira Grande and Ponta Delgada Health Centres do have enough doctors and nurses with specific training.
 
"There would have to be a significant investment to make these rooms fit for minor surgery with the required levels of hygiene and safety. This issue was solved in 2014 with the opening of a minor surgery room at Divino Espírito Santo Hospital," added the government official.
 
Rui Luís defended the need to continue focusing on efficiency in terms of production, quality and reinforcement of human resources in the Regional Health Service. In this regard, he pointed out that 28 nurses were hired last year and another 26 were hired this year.
 
In order to maximise the minor surgery room, the government official stated that the "internal management of human resources falls within the responsibility of the Administration Board of Ponta Delgada Hospital in conjunction with the Heads of Medical Services. “As he mentioned, indicators already demonstrate an increase in efficiency.
 
"We must focus our efforts on reducing the time that people are on the waiting list and this is what has been happening," noted Rui Luís.