The Regional Secretary for Health stated in Horta that, with the increase of nine million Euros in this area, the Plan and Budget for 2017 allows to "balance and ensure the sustainability of the Regional Health Service."
 
Rui Luís spoke at the end of hearings at the Committees on General Policy and Social Affairs of the Legislative Assembly. The government official stressed, among other challenges, the investment in key infrastructures to improve the quality of services provided to the Azorean population.
 
In this regard, he mentioned some of the works scheduled for 2017, including the expansion of Horta Hospital and Horta Health Centre and the Family Health centres to be installed at some Island Health Units.
 
For Rui Luís, it is essential to "provide health centres with the conditions to improve the level of proximity to citizens."
 
The Regional Secretary also stressed that "the problems in health cannot be solved overnight."
 
The recovery of surgery waiting lists is another challenge mentioned by Rui Luís, who restated his "willingness to dialogue" with all entities of the sector.
 
Regarding the Azores Regional Civil Protection and Fire Service, the government official stressed the investment in infrastructures that will cover the humanitarian association of volunteer firefighters of Santa Maria, Lajes do Pico, Lajes das Flores and Povoação.
 
The Regional Secretary also stated that the Plan also lists as priorities the maintenance of the communications network of Civil Protection services and the focus on the training and recruitment of volunteer firefigthers at schools.
 
Overall, the transfers to the Regional Health Service in 2017 amount to 300 million Euros.