IPO of Lisbon with more technology and medical – TVI24

The administrator of the Portuguese Institute of Oncology (IPO) of Lisbon welcomed today with the technology investment and health staff that the institution received, but acknowledged difficulties in hiring administrative and operational employees.

“There are areas that may seem less important, but are also necessary for the proper functioning of institutions,” said Francisco Ramos told reporters at the end of a ceremony in which the health minister handed the medal Distinguished Service Grade Gold IPO of Lisbon.

Francisco Ramos acknowledged that there was a reduction of human resources between 2010 and 2014, but in 2015 the situation improved, by registering 40 more workers than last year.

The administrator explained that the shortage of doctors has never been the biggest problem in this area, but at the level of the professions of support, where “there were very large reductions, with more difficulties in authorizations to recruit.”

The ceremony today also included the inauguration of two linear accelerators, which, to join the four existing ones, “recompose the IPO’s ability to Lisbon in radiotherapy”.

This IPO is thus no need to resort to private entities to provide this service to their patients, which should result in savings of three million euros per year.

According to Francisco Ramos, the two machines will respond to a thousand patients each year and ensure a response to the 3,000 that annually need to receive radiation therapy at this institution.

Every year, the IPO of Lisbon receives about 6,000 new patients.

The administrator also said that the institution is considering a possible proposal for the purchase of another nuclear accelerator.

At the ceremony today, where the Minister of Health and other industry leaders observed the two nuclear accelerators, which cost about seven million, the delegation also visited the MRI service, where located a new machine.

This is the most advanced machine in the country and allows higher quality images and has cost 1.4 million euros.

At the end of the visit, the Minister of Health underlined the investment that the IPO of Lisbon received between 2012 and 2014, which was around 21 million euros, which add to the value of the program contracts with the institution .

For Paulo Macedo, this investment reflects “the commitment to public service.”

“These investments not only become self-sufficient IPO in the image, such as provide a savings of three million euros,” he said.

On the lack of staff, the minister acknowledged that “more people are needed”, but noted that in recent years entered the “hundreds of people” institution.

“There was a reduction of people in absolute terms, but there was renewal of the medical condition and are to solve specific issues,” he said, recalling that this year alone, entered the National Health Service (SNS) about 5,000 people.