Young doctors choose Alto Alentejo for quality of life, but point out flaws

The quality of life that Alto Alentejo offers is one of the main factors indicated by young general practitioners who have chosen this region to practice their specialty, despite the lack of equipment and lack of access.

Cassilda Pinto from Penafiel, Porto District, has been with the Family Health Unit (USF) Raya Mayor since January 2020 in Campo Mayor (Portalegre District). In statements to Lusa, she states that the hinterland has always been his “first choice” to start his career.

The young doctor admits that she has not yet decided whether she will stay in the area after completing her specialty or not, despite the quality of life offered, since her family is far away.

“In addition to the money part, which weighs, we are also people, we have a family. My family is all from the North and it is very difficult for my family to move here completely, in terms of costs and much more,” he says.

Cassilda Pinto welcomes measures municipalities in the hinterland are taking to retain doctors, such as providing housing and financial incentives, but acknowledges that lack of access “also counts”, including the lack of public transport in Alentejo. .

In addition, it indicates a lack of equipment in the health centers to respond to users.

“The interior is forgotten, there are many difficulties that are experienced here, and I think that all doctors would supplement their training if they spent a season in the interior. They would appreciate it, because medicine is done in the interior very little, ”he emphasizes.

Sara Gomez was born in Porto and works as a general and family medicine intern in Elvas (also in the Portalegre area), living a few kilometers from her work in Badajoz, Spain.

He emphasizes that this border region is “much more attractive” in terms of quality of life than Porto, praising the calmness and the way it is treated by users who acknowledge the work of doctors.

“Everything is peaceful, users treat us well, they appreciate us, they appreciate us very much, which you will not see now. Respect is lost,” he says.

Sarah Gomes believes that there is a lack of doctors in the hinterland and in particular in this area of ​​Alentejo due to a “lack of knowledge” on the part of these medical professionals about what the region has to offer.

“The lack of knowledge, the lack of understanding about the quality of life they can have here, about the job opportunities – in terms of internships and all the specialties they can do, methods,” he adds.

However, he also warns of a shortage of some equipment in hospitals and transport in the region.

“We are doing health checks on the outskirts (Elvas) and saw these difficulties, how much it costs to tell the user that he must go to the hospital in Elvas for an examination, and this is 20 kilometers away. These are old people. , with many needs and no transport,” he laments.

Sara Gomes wants to stay in the Portalegre area and her fiancé Diogo Gomes, also from Porto, seems to want to stay as well.

Diogo Gomes, who spent four months internship at a hospital in Elvas, says Alentejo was a “positive surprise” not only for the quality of life, but also for the work environment he found.

However, he believes that in order to retain doctors in the region, it is necessary to improve the availability and strategies for hospitals.

In his opinion, colleagues prefer to stay on the coast because of the “family factor” and “ignorance” of the quality of life and work that the interior offers.