The Secretary for Health said today that the proposed amendment to the reimbursement scheme "aims to introduce some changes" that will take into consideration the new capacity of public services. Nevertheless, the government official assured that "the Regional Government is maintaining a reimbursement scheme that is no longer available in the Mainland Portugal and Madeira."

Speaking on the sidelines of the Regional Government's statutory visit to Graciosa, Luís Cabral stressed that "it was necessary to make some changes since the current legislation had not been updated for years." However, patients in the Autonomous Region of the Azores will continue to have access to a "third scheme" in the area of health, which is "the reimbursement of medical expenses incurred in the private sector."

The proposal was submitted to health care providers in the private sector. It stipulates the continuity of the reimbursement scheme"; however, there is need to adapt it to a new reality as "regional health units currently have a better response capacity than they had a few years ago."

The legal document stipulates the number of reimbursements for normal situations in a regular routine follow-up. Should there be the need to carry out other interventions, there will always be the possibility of referring patients to hospitals.

In this regard, Luís Cabral pointed out, as examples, the routine tests that should be done once or twice a year, depending on the situation, and the replacement of eyeglasses, which usually occurs no more than once a year.

The Regional Secretariat for Health has decided to submit both proposals to the entities that usually work with these systems so that they may issue their opinion on them and propose some adjustment to the amount reimbursed. The Government expects to conclude these legal documents by the end of this month.

With regard to the tender for the opening of a second pharmacy on Graciosa, the Regional Secretary for Health informed that, after the timely notice of complaints, the final list is being prepared in order to be approved.

Taking into account that the Regional Government continues to receive complaints from Graciosa citizens due to the pharmacy's inability to dispense some medicines, Luiz Cabral stressed that the Government "has accepted a request made by the 'Santa da Misericórdia' of Angra do Heroísmo for the installation of a temporary pharmacy unit."