Interns were greeted in Castro Marim by mayor Francisco Amaral, who is also a doctor
The Algarve welcomed over 200 new medical interns to join its public healthcare system on Friday, January 3. The interns, who are starting their training in general and specialty medicine, were greeted at an event held at the Quinta do Sobral event space in Castro Marim, in the eastern Algarve.
The region has long struggled with a shortage of medical professionals, making the arrival of these 202 interns especially important. However, many of them have not yet decided if they will stay in the Algarve after their training, with some telling television reporters at the event that they plan to leave the region when they complete their training, while others revealed plans to stay.
One of the challenges to staying is the high cost of housing in the region. To help, the local health authority – Unidade Local de Saúde (ULS Algarve) – is offering temporary housing in Faro and Lagos and is working with local towns like Alcoutim, Monchique, and Aljezur to provide more housing options.
Currently, public health services in the Algarve need around 100 GPs, as well as dozens of doctors in specialties like paediatrics, anaesthesiology, and orthopaedics.
The welcoming ceremony was opened by Castro Marim mayor Francisco Amaral, who apart from a politician is also a doctor. Speaking to the arriving interns, Amaral shared stories from his own career and talked about the important healthcare projects that have been introduced in Castro Marim, such as patient transport for medical appointments, the Mobile Health Unit, anti-smoking campaigns, and the municipality’s latest vaccination efforts against pneumonia.
In his speech, Amaral encouraged the new interns to give their best to their work, reminding them that medicine is not just a job but a calling. He also invited them to consider making the Algarve their home after completing their training.
The event also included presentations and discussions about the training programmes and the opportunities available for interns.
