Number of nurses per doctor in Portugal is “1.3”, one of the lowest in the OECD
“About doctors’ salaries. Portugal is the third country in the OECD [Organização para a Cooperação e Desenvolvimento Económico] in terms of offer. Between 2000 and 2017, the number of doctors per 1,000 inhabitants is 5.8 [em Portugal]in Greece of 6.1, the OECD average is 3.5, with most European countries between 3.1 and 3.7″, reads the publish September 1st on Facebook.
“In addition to this data, it is important to emphasize that Portugal continues training 25% more doctors than the average across OECD countries (graduated every year 16.1 doctors per 100 thousand inhabitants; compared to the same population aging trend, 6.8 in Japan). On the other hand, the number of nurses trained in Portugal is twice as low as the OECD average”, he adds.
The allegations have already been verified by the Polygraph, in a recent article, reaching the conclusion that the indicated numbers are correctalthough outdated.
Further on in the text of the publication, it is also indicated that “another factor to be highlighted in the health problem in Portugal, in addition to the excess supply of doctors, is the ratio of the number of nurses to the number of doctors which is only 1.3and in European countries the ratio is closer to the 3.5 nurses per doctor“.
Is it confirmed?
No more recent study”Health at a glance 2021” from the OECD, with data up to 2019, with regard to the number of practicing nurses (or in activity) per 1,000 inhabitantsPortugal appears in 26th position among the 38 OECD member countries (the table shows 44 countries in total, six of whom are not members), with one ratio of 7.1 nurses.
The table is led by Switzerland and Norway, with ratios of 18 and 17.9 respectively. Portugal is in the second half, below the OECD average which, in 2019, registered a ratio of 8.8 nurses per 1,000 inhabitants.
In this context, the OECD notes that the data referring to Portugal include “nurses who work in the health sector as managers, educators, researchers and the like”. That is, a part is not performing nursing tasksit is important to pay attention.
There is no concern about the number of nurses per doctor in activity, Portugal appears in the 33rd position among the 38 OECD member countries, with a ratio of 1.3 nursessurpassing only the numbers recorded in 2019 in Turkey, Mexico, Costa Rica, Chile and Colombia.
The table is led by Japan, Finland, USA and Switzerland, with ratios greater than four nurses. Portugal is at the opposite extreme, below the OECD average which, in 2019, registered a ratio of 2.6 nurses for each active physician.
However, the OECD notes that the ratio calculated for Portugal is “underrated“. Why? As the Polygraph has already mentioned in a recent article, the OECD data correspond to a all physicians with license to practice“resulting in a big overestimation of the number of practicing doctors” or in activity which, specifically in Portugal, is estimated to be around 30% of the total.
However, given the “great overestimation” of the number of doctors in activity, the ratio of nurses ends up being “underestimated”. In any case, confirm that the number of nurses per doctor in Portugal is “only 1.3”, one of the lowest in the OECD.
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Polygraph Rating:
True, but…