The Government of the Azores has authorised the services integrated in the Regional Health Service to hire up to 60 retired doctors during 2011.

The decision is part of a joint Order issued by the Vice-President of the Government and the Regional Secretary for Health, published in the Official Journal on Monday, which aims to address the shortage of doctors in the Region.

In these contracts, the procedures contained in the Decree-Law no.89/2010 of July 21, which established a transitional scheme for the exercise of public duties by retired doctors, will be observed. This scheme will be in force for a three-year period after the entry into force of that statute.

The legislation provides that, upon proposal of the institution where the duties or work will be carried out, and after the authorisation of the Government official overseeing the area of health, retired doctors may continue to exercise duties. 
 
The aforementioned scheme will be applied, with the necessary adaptations, to the exercise of public duties or provision of paid work by retired doctors in any service of the regional administration.

Under the terms of that Decree-Law, the Government officials overseeing the areas of finances, public administration and health will be in charge of annually stipulating, by joint order, the number of retired doctors that can be hired.