The mayor emphasized the importance of strengthening primary healthcare and finding concrete solutions for the shortage of family doctors, defending the irreplaceable role of these professionals in building more resilient, accessible, and humane health systems. Addressing representatives from medical organizations and health-related entities, Filipe Daniel highlighted the Municipality of Óbidos' experience in responding to the population's needs, noting that municipalities should not wait for centralized solutions for essential needs.
Filipe Daniel warned about the structural challenge of difficulty in attracting, recruiting, and retaining family doctors, especially in non-metropolitan and low-density population municipalities. In response, Óbidos implemented the Óbidos+Saúde plan, funded by municipal resources, which provides free general and family medicine consultations, nursing care, home medical visits, teleconsultations, and support for accessing diagnostic tests.
“For us, health is not a responsibility that can be delegated to third parties. It is a fundamental priority for human dignity, social cohesion, and local development,” stated the mayor, reaffirming the Municipality's willingness to work with health authorities and invest local resources to attract professionals. The goal is for Óbidos to be seen not just as a temporary workplace, but as a territory where health professionals can live and build a long-term life project.
“"We do not want doctors to see Óbidos merely as a temporary workplace. We want them to choose our municipality to live, prosper, and build their future."
The UEMO Autumn General Assembly brings together leaders and delegates from general and family medicine organizations from approximately 25 European countries to discuss challenges such as professional burnout, administrative overload, generational renewal, and the shortage of doctors. The event was attended by figures such as Rita Sá Machado (Director-General of Health), Catarina Martins (Member of the European Parliament), Nuno Jacinto (President of APMGF), Rodrigo Farinha Marques (Clinical Director of ULS do Oeste), Filipa Lança (Vice-President of the Southern Regional Section of the Order of Physicians), Ana Correia de Oliveira (Member of the Board of Directors of DE-SNS), and Filipe Daniel.
Filipe Daniel thanked the UEMO leadership, particularly its president, Tiago Villanueva, for choosing Óbidos to host the meeting, considering the sharing of experiences and international cooperation fundamental to strengthening the quality of healthcare provided to citizens.
