The Ministry of Health, led by Ana Paula Martins, plans to identify new regional emergency services by the end of November. The initiative aims to create a more integrated and sustainable national network, with a specific focus on evaluating orthopaedic response capacity in the Lisbon and Tagus Valley region.
Ministry to centralize emergency services by November
Monday, 24 August 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.
4 sources
- Ministry of Health expects centralized emergency services to be identified by the end of Novembercmjornal.pt ·
- New centralised emergency services to be identified by the end of November, ministry assuresdn.pt ·
- Healthexpresso.pt ·
- Emergency network to be reviewed by November with orthopaedics in focusobservador.pt ·
