Covid-19 vaccination. An additional 1,700 health professionals are needed

For mass pollination to begin at sailing speed early next month, You need to hire another 1,700 health professionals. The goal is Promote work already done By the health centers that sponsored the entire vaccination campaign in the country. Latest estimate prepared jointly by Regional Health Departments (ARS) and Health Center Clusters (ACES) and War unit For the vaccination plan, he indicates that more A thousand nurses, 140 doctors, and 570 assistants – These values ​​are missing ARS numbers.

The Ministry of Health says, To the newspaper “Público”, That some professionals to be part of the vaccination centers would come from the National Health Service (SNS), through mobility tools or the use of overtime. However, he states that “the highest administrative bodies are still able to conclude employment contracts with an uncertain duration of dissolution.”

Marta Timido’s office also stresses that “the number of professionals to be appointed will be all that is necessary”. After the evaluation by ARS, it is estimated that it is necessary A total of 500 doctors, 2,500 nurses and 850 auxiliaries.

However, before the estimates are made, Several municipalities hired nurses directly from private companies Temporary work. The Lisbon municipality, for example, hired nurses for mass vaccination centers across the Randstad in early March and last week approved a new contract – worth € 1,663,200 – to ensure, between April and December of this year, up to 60 nurses per day. In centers.

In a preliminary market study, the Lisbon municipality found that IAP – Serviços de Saúde was the lowest price per hour (€ 15.90), and Blue Ocean Medical was the most expensive (€ 20) of the four companies consulted. . The rest (Randstad Portugal and Precise, Recruitment Selection) suggested an hourly rate of € 17.50.