Family Doctors Crisis: Lowest Number of Filled Vacancies in Three Years Sparks Concern

The national competition for placing newly graduated doctors in general and family medicine has once again fallen short of needs: out of the 585 vacancies opened in April, only 231 were filled, meaning only 39% attracted interest. However, it's not certain that all will remain occupied, as the deadlines for signing contracts are still ongoing. Two local health units (ULS) – Estuário do Tejo (Vila Franca de Xira, with 37 open vacancies), and Alto Alentejo with 12 – had no interested candidates at all.

This situation highlights a growing crisis in the healthcare sector, particularly in family medicine, where the lack of interested professionals is becoming increasingly evident. A petition has been launched demanding changes, and two vigils are scheduled to protest the current state of affairs.