The Regional Secretary for Health announced today the Government publish next Monday an order determining the creation of Family Health Units. This measure represents a significant advance in health care and will be adopted by all Island Health Units "until the end of the year."

Luís Cabral spoke on the sidelines of a visit to Ribeira Grande Health Centre, where he discussed the implement of this measure. In this context, the Regional Secretary added that the Regional Government's decision is intended to "reformulate primary health care according to the needs of patients." The Government has been making a significant investment in this area.

With this new measure, the Government intends to "redevelop the current health care model in terms of the organisation and operation of Island Health Units."

In this regard, Luís Cabral added that this model "should result in health gains as well as in the improvement of the access to health care, through the restructuring of functional units."

The Regional Secretary stressed the concern regarding the patients who are not being followed by a general practitioner, adding that they will be grouped into Health Family Units; they will be "automatically assigned a nurse and a member of the administrative staff, who will ensure the access to health care." In addition, patients will also have the possibility to "use the additional consultations provided by Health Centres for the scheduling of medical appointments until the archipelago is fully covered by general practitioners."

Family Health Units are based on the provision of individual and family health care by transdisciplinary teams consisting of a doctor, a nurse and a member of the administrative staff.

Health Units will group patients from their area of residence into units of 1,500 people. The list should be organised by households and based on geodemography to ensure that primary health care is closer to patients.