The imminent cessation of the activity of 12 reference doctors who are over 65 years old will imply that they must accommodate around 400 patients among the other 53 professionals who remain active, according to the calculations of Government At the moment the average number of patients per doctor is approximately 1,300, and the executive’s forecasts indicate that the limit that they can assume without altering the quality of the activity is 1,800so that this threshold would still not be exceeded by adding the patients who would be orphaned by a professional. “This figure would remain within the usual assistance capacity margins in primary care”, assure government sources. At the same time, the gradual incorporation of new doctors, such as the three who have already joined this year, is planned. “Therefore, the system has enough room to gradually absorb the generational relief of professionals and guarantee, at all times, the continuity of quality care”, guarantees the executive.
“We are already incorporating doctors to distribute the entire mass of patients they have to absorb”
The Minister of Health, Helena Mashe added in an interview with Daily TV that in the next 10 years there may be one 30% of professional retirementsand acknowledged that “very soon both the primary care and the surgeons and digestologistsBut at the same time he highlighted the planning of the ministry’s situation so that the progressive retirement of current professionals will begin to be supplied already this year. “We are looking for them to join now to normalize and distribute the entire mass of patients they have to absorb”, he pointed out But.
1,300 average patients that each doctor assumes
Beyond the measures that the ministry is pushing to convert Andorra in a more attractive country for doctors, such as the revision of the nomenclature and rates that should see the light in the coming weeksthe special authorization mechanism is also a resource in cases of need. This 2026 there are already 14 doctors who have reached the principality through this route, and the average in recent years is about twenty. In addition, this year this recruitment of professionals is closely linked to the commissioning of the hemodynamics service. “It is a very important project to provide service to all those people who have heart disease and who need this type of intervention”, he explained But. In this way, around 400 patients will be prevented from having to move.
A la carte
1,800 patient limit assumed by doctors on average
But does not consider the B2 level requirement of Catalan to be a clear obstacle to getting new doctors to settle in the country, and highlighted the facilitating mechanisms that are put in place from SAS. The minister defends that a balance must be found between guarantee a quality of care and the vindication of Catalan as a sign of identity. “We cannot stop or despise the use of Catalan for any other reason”, he maintained.
ANDORRA HAS A HIGHER RATIO OF PHYSIOTHERAPISTS COMPARED TO NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES
The regulation could be completed by autumn. Although he avoided the term “abuse”, But he admitted that the physiotherapist is used “at will”. “It is good that we define what are the margins of action of the physios, what is their total number of sessions or what will be the follow-up that we will do afterwards to order a little”, he argued.
