Latest news and stories about medical services in government in Porto, Portugal for expats and residents.
Why Porto Became the Perfect Choice
ExpatsEverywhere • 47:35 • 4w ago
Differences compromise equity in the care provided in different regions of the country, experts acknowledge. Gaia Hospital maintains its paediatric emergency classification.
Doctors at the Portuguese Institute of Oncology (IPO) in Porto received communications from an external company called 'Questão Resolvida' on March 5th, despite not having authorised the use or transmission of their email addresses. The Northern Doctors' Union (SMN) has denounced the incident, stating that it occurred without the doctors' prior consent or legal clarification. The union has demanded explanations from the IPO board and has reported the matter to the National Data Protection Commission (CNPD), citing potential violations of the GDPR and national data protection laws. Meanwhile, the IPOs in Coimbra and Lisbon are set to invest 16.52 million euros in medical and robotic equipment.
Hefesto, BCP, and Intrum lead the list of 82 companies that filed the most lawsuits in Portugal in 2025, according to Público this Monday, March 16, citing the annual list published by the Citius portal. The newspaper reports that while major litigants pay higher fees, the number remains constant. The paper also notes that there are 15 painted copper medallions on the ceiling of the Jerónimos Monastery that were previously little-known, as the restoration of the national monument nears its end after 13 years and three million euros. The paper also features an interview with Dmytro Kuleba, the former Ukrainian Foreign Minister, who argues that the key to peace in Ukraine lies in Europe, not Washington. Jornal de Notícias reports that private school students are paying for internships at health centres and hospitals; the sector complains of discrimination and is considering an appeal to the Constitutional Court. Correio da Manhã reports that the Government has signed contracts with a company accused of corruption, noting that the Government's General Secretariat contracted Bravantic—formerly Informantem—four times, whose CEO, Pedro Rosa Gil, is accused of active corruption involving PSD mayors; he maintains his innocence. The paper also reports that the Secretary of State for Health Management signed the order to create a Cardiac Surgery unit at the Santo António Local Health Unit in Porto, despite being a personal friend of the hospital's Director of Surgery. Diário de Notícias reports that school principals argue that exams for students who missed classes should carry less weight in their final grades. Negotiations regarding the labour package continue this Monday, and Negócios reports that the Government is backing down on dismissal for just cause but is insisting on the illegal ones.
The Secretary of State for Health Management signed the order that paved the way for the creation of a Cardiac Surgery unit at the Santo António Local Health Unit in Porto, despite being a personal friend of the hospital's Director of Surgery.
Ana Povo states that there is no personal benefit, direct or indirect.
Infarmed is currently evaluating the potential widespread hospital use of a new cancer drug after previously denying a special authorisation request for a 35-year-old patient.
The recent dispatch signed by Health and Health Management Secretaries has sparked controversy as it paves the way for establishing a Cardiac Surgery Unit at the Local Health Unit (ULS) of Santo António in Porto. This decision has raised questions regarding healthcare policy and resource allocation in the region.
The Secretary of State for Health has signed an order that supports the establishment of a Surgery Unit at Hospital de Santo António, where she has previously worked and maintains connections. This decision highlights the ongoing relationship between healthcare policy and the officials who influence it.
The helipad at Hospital Pedro Hispano in Matosinhos will close due to obstacles in the aircraft approach channels that “pose a risk to operations.”
The Porto region is set to invest €820,000 in the refurbishment of two health centres. The Vale Formoso Health Unit will receive €526,000 for a four-month renovation, while the Foz Health Centre will be upgraded with an investment of €297,000, expected to take 100 days to complete.
The units in Paranhos and Foz do Douro will undergo upgrade works.
The National Health Service (SNS) is responding better than in the past, at least that is the conviction of the SNS Executive Director. Álvaro Almeida visited this morning, alongside the Minister of Health, the Tâmega and Sousa Local Health Unit (ULS), a hospital unit in Penafiel that is larger than necessary.
The prime minister said on Monday there is a 'perception of chaos' in the National Health Service (SNS) but insisted that 'this is not reality', arguing that hospital waiting times 'are the best of the last five years'. Speaking in Porto at the inauguration of the SNS Executive Directorate's headquarters, Luís Montenegro recognised that ...
The chief executive of the National Health Service (SNS), Álvaro Almeida, spoke to journalists at the opening of the SNS executive directorate's headquarters in Porto on Monday.
Luís Montenegro reiterated the competence and resilience of Health Minister Ana Paula Martins. The praise came during the inaugural speech at the headquarters of the SNS executive directorate in Porto, where the prime minister also said that cases of delays in emergency response cannot be generalised, as the Portuguese National Health Service is one of the best in the world.
Speaking at the inauguration of the SNS Executive Directorate headquarters in Porto, the prime minister described 'a strange time' in which, in his view, there is an 'absolute disproportion' between the work of healthcare professionals in hospital units and the media coverage.
The new headquarters is located on Rua Direito do Viso in Porto, and the ceremony was attended by the Prime Minister and the Minister of Health. Also, Braga and Viana do Castelo are under a yellow weather warning due to rain.
Protests have been ongoing for nearly two weeks and the US is threatening to intervene. Also, the new SNS headquarters in Porto was inaugurated today.
On 22 December, in a statement published by Fnam, doctors from the Internal Medicine Service of ULS Tâmega e Sousa warned of care overload in inpatient services.
The São João CRI-MR is the only centre within the NHS to provide this type of treatment, which is why it receives patients from across the country, including Madeira and the Azores, and aims to internationalise.
The São João Local Health Unit said the public tender for the renovation of the operating theatre block will be launched in the coming days and that the works are expected to be completed in the summer of next year.
Hospital de São João has refurbished its emergency operating block with an investment of €3 million, upgrading facilities and equipment to improve urgent surgical care.
The project is expected to be completed in the summer of 2026.
The Obstetrics and Gynaecology emergency department at São João Hospital in Porto will be expanded and will have a direct connection to new pre‑labour areas and single rooms, as part of a €1.5 million project, the local health unit said on Monday. In response to the Lusa news agency, the São João Local Health Unit (ULSSJ) stated that ...
