Chega/Açores schedules urgent hospital finance debate
Azores GuideThe party seeks clarification on hospital spending, supplier debt and the effects on patients, health workers and the regional economy.
Chega/Açores has scheduled an urgent debate for the following week's plenary session of the Regional Legislative Assembly on the financial situation of Azorean hospitals and its implications for the Regional Health Service.
The party said hospitals' financial health requires answers and transparency, and that regional hospital spending has been rising exponentially. It wants clarification on spending trends, debt owed to suppliers and the consequences for users, health professionals and the regional economy.
Chega/Açores highlighted Hospital do Divino Espírito Santo in Ponta Delgada, São Miguel, as a main concern. It said the latest accounts show losses of close to 4.6 million euros per month, a figure it said almost quadrupled in the first six months of 2026 compared with the first half of the previous year.
Deputy Hélia Cardoso said higher health spending is not enough if Azoreans continue waiting for consultations, exams and surgeries. She said public health resources should be managed with rigor, transparency and measurable results.
Chega/Açores said supplier-payment delays can pressure companies providing medicines, medical devices, equipment, food services, cleaning and maintenance, affecting their ability to keep jobs and meet their own commitments. Cardoso said hospital liabilities affect the Azorean economy and that their costs are ultimately borne by taxpayers, suppliers or users when shortages compromise service responses.
Earlier, this site reported that Bolieiro called for health-sector waste cuts at Livramento and São Roque inauguration.
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Azores Guide
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