The Ministry of Finance (Ministério das Finanças) and the Ministry of Health (Ministério da Saúde) announced a 1.23 billion euro injection to pay off debts within the National Health Service (Serviço Nacional de Saúde or SNS). The funds are earmarked for Local Health Units (Unidades Locais de Saúde or ULS) and Oncology Institutes (Institutos Portugueses de Oncologia or IPO) to settle outstanding payments to private suppliers that are more than 60 days overdue. Health Minister Ana Paula Martins stated the measure is intended to ensure the financial sustainability of the public health system.
Government injects 1.2 billion euros to settle health service debts
Monday, 30 March 2026AI summary
Context & Explainers
Ana Paula Martins is a Portuguese pharmacist and politician who has served as the Minister of Health in Portugal since April 2024. A member of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), she was reappointed to the position in the second government of Prime Minister Luís Montenegro in June 2025.
Professional Background
Pharmaceutical Leadership: She served as the President of the Order of Pharmacists (Bastonária da Ordem dos Farmacêuticos) from 2016 to 2022.
Hospital Management: She was the President of the Board of Directors of Hospital de Santa Maria (CHULN) in Lisbon from December 2022 to January 2024.
Academic Work: She holds a PhD in Clinical Pharmacy and has been an assistant professor at the Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Lisbon for over 20 years.
Political Career
Government Role: As Minister of Health, she has overseen the implementation of the "SNS Emergency Plan" and recently addressed issues such as INEM staffing and public-private partnerships in healthcare.
Party Leadership: She served as Vice President of the PSD under Rui Rio (2021–2022).
Parliament: She was elected as a member of the Assembly of the Republic representing the Lisbon constituency in 2024.
5 sources
- SNS receives an additional 1.2 billion euros to pay off debtsExpresso ·
- Government transfers 1.23 billion euros to the NHS to pay debts to suppliersPúblico ·
- Government transfers 1.23 billion euros to hospitals to pay supplier debtsCorreio da Manhã ·
- Government transfers 1.23 billion to hospitals to pay debts to suppliersECO ·
- Finance Ministry injects over 1.2 billion euros into the NHS to pay debts to private providersDinheiro Vivo ·
