Azores to launch national campaign to attract and retain doctors
Azores GuideThe "Aqui Vive-se" campaign will promote medical careers in the Azores as the region prepares to offer 52 specialised medical internship places in 2026.
The Government of the Azores will launch the national "Aqui Vive-se" campaign through the Regional Secretariat for Health and Social Security to promote the region as a destination for practising medicine and strengthen the attraction and retention of professionals in the Regional Health Service.
The launch coincides with publication of the vacancies map for entry into Specialised Training in the Medical Internship, which provides for 52 places in the Autonomous Region of the Azores in 2026. The campaign forms part of the regional strategy to address health workforce needs in the coming years.
Using real testimonies from doctors who chose to work and live in the Azores, the campaign will target doctors starting General Training, those preparing to choose a specialty, doctors in Specialised Training and professionals considering a professional and personal change.
Regional Secretary for Health and Social Security Mónica Seidi said the campaign is intended to promote Azorean identity and present the region as an option for medical practice while balancing professional, personal and family life. It will also highlight Specialised Training opportunities and the Regional Health Service's modernisation and technological differentiation, including robotic surgery.
The government points to closer relationships among professionals, teams, supervisors, services and users, as well as incentives including the Azores' lower tax burden than mainland Portugal, housing support, a full-time dedication regime differentiated from the national one and a collective labour agreement with benefits. Seidi said the campaign is expected to be extended to other health careers in the future.
The region previously announced plans to recruit 40 nurses for regional hospitals.
Sources
Azores Guide
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