Alcoutim creates municipal regulation focused on offering incentives to attract badly needed family doctors
The Algarve municipality of Alcoutim is taking decisive steps to address its chronic shortage of health professionals by introducing a new set of incentives, aimed at attracting and retaining family doctors.
The initiative, outlined in the new ‘Municipal Regulation for Granting Incentives to Attract and Retain General and Family Medicine Doctors’, was recently published in the government newspaper Diário da República and is part of the council’s broader commitment to improving healthcare access for the local population.
Facing a shortage of doctors that has left both residents and visitors struggling to secure timely medical care, Alcoutim’s local council is implementing a range of measures to make the rural municipality more appealing to healthcare professionals. These include financial incentives, housing support, and travel subsidies designed to attract doctors to the borough.
Among the key measures introduced is a monthly subsidy for doctors who choose to work in Alcoutim, as well as free housing or rent subsidies. Doctors who live outside of Alcoutim but work in the borough will also be entitled to subsidies to cover their travel expenses, the council says.
“This regulation is a clear demonstration of the council’s commitment to finding solutions to a problem that deeply affects our community,” says Alcoutim mayor Paulo Paulino. “We are creating real and attractive conditions for doctors to settle in our municipality, aiming to contribute to the continuity and quality of healthcare services provided to our population.”
The new regulation also foresees collaborations with local charities in an effort to provide “complementary medical services.” This collaborative approach is designed to “strengthen the local healthcare network and ensure that a more diverse range of services is available to meet the needs of patients at the Unidade de Cuidados de Saúde Personalizados,” the municipality’s primary healthcare centre, the council explains.
The implementation of these measures will be closely monitored by the council to “ensure they have the desired impact on the region’s healthcare services”.
Alcoutim’s municipal council has been calling on health authorities to address the local shortage of doctors for years. In response, the Local Health Unit (ALS) announced a tender for the hiring of more family doctors, including higher wages for positions based in Alcoutim. The council says this is a “significant step” towards attracting more health professionals to the doctor-starved municipality.
Paulo Paulino has reiterated the council’s dedication to securing better healthcare for all residents, stating that the municipality will continue to advocate for improved services through ongoing dialogue with relevant health authorities and the implementation of new policies aimed at enhancing the well-being of the community.
