The Regional Secretary for Health stated in Angra do Heroísmo that telemedicine is an "important asset" in the communication between health professionals, thus representing a "major progress in air evacuations."

Luís Cabral spoke after attending an air evacuation drill coordinated by the Azores Regional Civil Protection and Fire Service (SRPCBA). The government official emphasised the gains brought by telemedicine to the Regional Health Service by "promoting a closer interaction between health professionals involved in air evacuations."

The Regional Secretary also stressed that the "sharing of knowledge" that telemedecine promotes between the doctor who requests the air evacuation and the doctor in charge of the Azores Regional Civil Protection and Fire Service, which allows them to "jointly determine the best solution for the patient."

"This is a great asset to development and reflects what new technologies can bring to the Regional Health Service," said Luís Cabral.

The Regional Secretary for Health mentioned that the Azores have a "good telecommunications infrastructure." This is the result of the "preparatory work" developed over the last years in order to "provide a response to health professionals and patients."