"It's an innovative service for users. The goal is that when someone needs to renew their driver's license, hunter's license, water sports, use and possession of weapons, in short, those medical statements that are necessary, instead of making an appointment with the family doctor, easily schedule this evaluation in this place", explained Fernando Araújo to journalists at the end of a visit to the CAMP of the Local Health Unit (ULS) of Matosinhos, in the district of Porto.
The center of Matosinhos is part of a pilot project in which the ULS of Alto Minho is also involved, whose CAMP was also visited today by Fernando Araújo, in Viana do Castelo.
"We very much want, during this year and next, as the Local Health Units (ULS) are created, to replicate this model. There will be two good cases of evaluation, of use, and it will be two cases of success, I have no doubt," said the executive director of the SNS, adding that the goal is by the end of next year to have these services across the country.
According to Fernando Araújo, CAMP has two advantages: "The first is that it frees the family doctor for acute illness, for patients who really need to be seen, removing more administrative and bureaucratic tasks from the family doctor."
"On the other hand [the user] ends up having a very easy service, which is very simple, and they can even register on the user portal, and in this way have the answer to their problems, in this case the attestation to be able to renew the letter, in a very quiet way," he added.
Fernando Araújo also stressed that friction is reduced in the "relationship of trust between doctor and patient", which is sometimes "shaken when the doctor thinks that the user could not drive", due to age or other medical problems, and so this relationship "ceases to have a negative impact", he said.
"It is a different service that makes this assessment and, in a quiet way, decides whether or not the user can, for medical reasons, drive the vehicle," explained the official.
According to Fernando Araújo, in Matosinhos "the appointments opened last week, and there are already more than 60 appointments made, people easily adhere to this concept."
In a press release issued today after the visits of Fernando Araújo, the executive direction of the SNS also revealed that it is "planned to soon open a CAMP in Valença [district of Viana do Castelo], inserted in the ULS of Alto Minho (ULSAM).
For now, in Viana do Castelo the appointments "can be made in person, with the CAMP Secretariat, during its opening hours; through a computer platform (e-Agenda) or even through the clinical secretariat in any Health Unit of ULSAM".
"In the case of the ULS of Matosinhos, this consultation can be requested at the health unit where the user is enrolled (by phone), at the CAMP itself, or even through the Matosinhos User Portal. It is also possible to schedule this appointment through the email camp@ulsm.min-saude.pt," the statement said.