The Algarve’s public health service welcomed 46 new nurses on Tuesday (September 10), in a move aimed at addressing the chronic shortage of these health professionals in the region.
The nurses, who will be placed at the region’s public hospitals in critical areas such as emergency, surgery, and maternal health, were recruited through a hiring pool launched earlier this year. The reinforcements were officially received at a ceremony held at Faro Hospital.
Tiago Botelho, chairman of the board of the Algarve Local Health Unit (ULS Algarve), greeted the newcomers with a message about the importance of their role: “Working in the National Health Service is not just a job, it’s much more than that – it’s about belonging and caring for society”.
Despite the new additions, the region still faces a shortage of nursing staff, much like most of the rest of the country. Botelho confirmed that recruitment remains open: “If people are available to work with us, we are ready to hire. We have other expressions of interest from professionals still in the pool, who may eventually sign contracts. Before this group, others had already been hired, though in smaller numbers.”
Nursing director José Vieira dos Santos also stressed the impact of the new arrivals: “We live in a region with a shortage of nurses. Hiring this number is very important to strengthen our teams and meet some of the needs we face.”
He also offered words of guidance to the new colleagues, encouraging them to balance skill with compassion: “It is not the service that defines your value, but how you care for people. Care with knowledge, but also with heart; with technique, with humanity. At the end of the day, what patients remember is not just the treatment they received, but the words and gestures that gave them confidence.”
In a statement to the press, ULS Algarve says it has pursued an active policy of reinforcing human resources, regularly opening recruitment pools and competitions on its official website. The goal is to reduce persistent shortages, particularly in the most pressured areas of the regional health system.
Also present at the reception were executive board member José Gonçalves Júnior, deputy nursing director Paula Franco, and Human Resources director Sílvia Cabrita.
