Finance Secretary Duarte Freitas confirmed the payments won’t affect the region’s debt ratio, which remains below 60% of GDP, and pledged to maintain supplier payments within 60 to 90 days.

The Government of the Azores has paid €250 million to regional healthcare suppliers this year, including €200 million in overdue debts, marking a major step toward financial stability in the region’s public health system. The announcement was made by the Regional Secretary of Finance, Duarte Freitas, alongside Health Secretary Mónica Seidi, following a meeting with the Ponta Delgada Chamber of Commerce.

According to Freitas, the payments fulfil a long-standing commitment to restore financial order within the Azorean healthcare network. “After many years, our regional suppliers are finally up to date with payments,” he stated.

The debts had accumulated over more than a decade, involving the three regional hospitals and smaller island health units, with some invoices dating back to 2012. Freitas credited the central government, led by the Social Democratic Party (PSD), for authorising the conversion of commercial debt into financial debt, which enabled the regularisation process.

Despite the significant financial effort, Freitas assured that the Azores’ public debt ratio will remain below 60% of GDP, emphasising fiscal responsibility. The government’s new target is to ensure that all supplier payments occur within 60 to 90 days, a standard aligned with efficient financial management and transparency.

The initiative represents one of the largest debt clearances in the Azorean health sector in recent years, reflecting a broader regional effort to modernise financial operations and improve trust between public institutions and private providers.

Freitas reaffirmed that the regional government will “do everything possible” to maintain stability and avoid a return to the payment delays that once burdened hospitals and suppliers. The move not only strengthens healthcare delivery but also signals improved economic governance across the Azores.