According to the bulletin, the number of patients waiting for an intervention in the hospitals of Ponta Delgada, Angra do Heroísmo, and Horta increased compared to May, with 178 more patients, equivalent to 1.7%. However, 647 surgeries were performed in June, which is 42 (6.9%) more than the previous month.
The data now released by the PSD/CDS-PP/PPM coalition government shows, however, that there is a decrease in the number of surgical interventions in the Azores when compared to June of last year, with 117 fewer surgeries, representing a reduction of 15.3%.
In the previous month, on May 4, a fire at the Hospital of Divino Espírito Santo (HDES) in Ponta Delgada forced the temporary closure of the largest health unit in the Azores, leading to the cancellation of numerous consultations, treatments, and surgical procedures.
The data now published by the Azorean executive, led by Social Democrat José Manuel Bolieiro, is considered “provisional” because the surgery records themselves may have been affected by the fire at HDES.
In response to a request submitted to the Legislative Assembly of the Azores by PS deputies, the Regional Government also reveals that there are patients waiting for surgical intervention in the specialties of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and Ophthalmology for more than eight years (since 2016) in Ponta Delgada.
