The Council of Ministers approved construction of the Algarve Central Hospital (Hospital Central do Algarve) with an investment of more than €420 million, to be delivered as a public–private partnership that the government says will cost the State about €1.1 billion over time. Ministers called the move historic after decades of delays; unions pointed out earlier tenders and said some promised emergency vehicles are already paid for. Expats in the region should expect major disruption during construction but eventual improvements in regional hospital capacity.