Latest news and stories about patient care in Porto, Portugal for expats and residents.
Health Minister Ana Paula Martins has activated the lowest level of contingency plans across hospitals to manage the upcoming ten-day heatwave, while acknowledging ongoing staffing shortages.
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.
An analysis of the medical residency program at S. João Hospital and a critique of the populist political response to the closure of emergency services at Barreiro Hospital.
Three elderly women, aged 80, 91, and 92, were reportedly mistreated in an illegal care home in Maia. The owner of the facility is currently facing trial for the alleged abuse, raising concerns about the safety and treatment of vulnerable patients in such establishments.
In the past three years, ten patients have tragically died while awaiting heart surgery at Santo António Hospital in Porto, raising serious concerns about the efficiency and safety of the public healthcare system.
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.
An automatic update paralysed the INEM's Northern Centre for the Guidance of Urgent Patients.
The Urgent Patient Guidance Centre (CODU) in the North experienced a computer system failure between 19:20 and 21:20 today, causing disruptions in call handling and the dispatching of emergency resources, a union source reported.
Doctors are being subjected to weeks of work without overtime pay. They have filed a report with the IGAS to 'denounce degradation'. The IPST wanted to organise clinical activity.
Patients admitted to São João Local Health Unit (ULS São João) in Porto can now receive visits from their pets under a new initiative designed to improve emotional wellbeing during The post Hospital patients can now receive visits from their pets at Porto’s São João appeared first on Portugal Resident.
The issue concerns a lack of human and material resources that are severely compromising the working conditions of these professionals. The request for exemption has already been sent to the Ministry of Health.
The Portuguese Medical Association warns that AI does not replace a doctor. The health group declined to provide clarification.
Ana Paula Martins acknowledged the error in the order concerning neuroradiology and interventional cardiology and promised dialogue with scientific societies before publication.
The union accuses doctors of wanting to review the remuneration for additional surgical production, altering the working conditions for work already performed.
During a visit by António José Seguro to an institute in Porto, a clinical trial testing a preventive approach to Crohn's disease was highlighted, aiming to prevent it from fully manifesting.
Medical interns in Endocrinology at the Santo António Local Health Unit (ULSSA) in Porto were scheduled for Saturday shifts for two years without receiving overtime pay, as the shifts were incorrectly classified as part of their normal weekly hours. Following a complaint to the Northern Medical Union (SMN), the practice was deemed illegal, as interns' standard hours are Monday to Friday. The union intervened, and the health unit has since ceased the practice. The union president emphasized that protecting interns' rights and training is essential for the quality of the National Health Service (SNS).
The President of the Republic, António José Seguro, listed health research today in Porto as an opportunity for Portugal and greeted the “practically invisible” researchers who place the patient at the centre.
New Government ordinance regarding additional production in the National Health Service (SNS) worries doctors in the North: Neuroradiology, Radiology, and Interventional Cardiology are at risk. Deadline: end of July.
The São João Hospital in Porto has already activated its contingency plan due to the heatwave, similar to other hospitals in the country. Miguel Cabral, head of the seasonal plan at this hospital unit, explains how this response works and what might change if temperatures continue to rise.
Paulo Raimundo spoke to journalists at the Olival Health Centre after having been in contact with dozens of patients waiting in a long queue to get a ticket and book an appointment.
The investment is intended for gastric cancer and obesity treatments. The operations are performed using instruments that simulate a human hand.
The Minister of Health stated this Tuesday in Porto that all hospitals have activated the lowest level of contingency plans and are prepared to deal with the heat, but admitted difficulties due to a lack of human resources. Speaking to journalists, Ana Paula Martins stated that “the contingency plans have all been...
The first robotic surgery at ULSTS was a gastric bypass and was completely successful.
A study titled 'Preventive Health in Active Women', developed by the non-profit VOH CoLab in collaboration with CUF, reveals that family burdens and logistical workplace barriers severely hinder self-care and preventive screenings for working women in Portugal. The findings show that 58% of respondents balance professional duties with caring for dependents, leading 38% to prioritise others' health over their own. Although 74% claim to have flexibility for appointments, only 26% enjoy true flexibility without the need for formal justification or making up hours. This results in significant delays in essential clinical exams, such as colonoscopies and bone density scans. The study, based on a sample of 2,564 women from major companies like MEO, Pestana, Jerónimo Martins, Hovione, and CUF, recommends that organisations adopt shared responsibility for preventive health by offering genuine flexibility and in-company health programmes.
Portugal has 35 Independent Living Support Centres for approximately one million people with disabilities. Protesters are demanding more vacancies and more hours of personal assistance.
In 2025, a new record was reached with 88 living organ donors in Portugal. Robotic transplantation offers advantages in patient recovery and allows doctors to work with greater dexterity.
At 50, Miguel froze his restlessness in time due to a lymphoma. A nine-month journey with the first cancer patient treated with CAR-T cells at the São João Hospital in Porto.
Saving lives is the priority in the first hours after an earthquake, but the work does not end there. Amélia Ferreira, coordinator of the Matosinhos Hospital Emergency Plan, explains the challenges that continue after the rescue and why it is also important to care for the physical and psychological health of victims and health professionals.
A mother has donated a kidney to her son in a pioneering robotic transplant procedure that marks a milestone for Portuguese healthcare. The operation was carried out at São João The post Porto: Mother donates kidney to son in pioneering robotic surgery appeared first on Portugal Resident.
Previously, many patients diagnosed and undergoing surgery needed to travel to other institutions for treatment. Now, the ULS will provide care locally.
