According to the monthly bulletin of SIGICA, the integrated system for managing surgical waiting lists in the Azores, published by the regional government, in June 2024, almost 11 thousand Azoreans (10,921) were waiting for surgery in the three hospitals of the archipelago.
According to the bulletin, the number of users waiting for interventions in the hospitals of Ponta Delgada, Angra do Heroismo and Horta increased compared to May by another 178 patients, equivalent to 1.7%, although in June there were 647 operations, 42 (6.9%) more than in the previous month.
However, data published by the executive branch of the PSD/CDS-PP/PPM coalition show that the number of surgical interventions in the Azores has decreased compared to June last year, with 117 fewer operations, representing a decrease of 15.3%.
The previous month, on May 4, a fire at the Divino Espírito Santo Hospital (HDES) in Ponta Delgada forced the temporary closure of the largest health facility in the Azores, resulting in the cancellation of numerous consultations, treatments and operations.
The data currently published by the Azores executive, led by Social Democrat José Manuel Boleiro, are considered “preliminary” because the transaction records themselves were damaged in the fire at HDES.
In response to a request submitted to the Legislative Assembly of the Azores by the PS deputies, the regional government also reports that there are patients waiting for surgery in the specialties of plastic and reconstructive surgery and ophthalmology for more than eight years (2016), in Ponta Delgada.