The construction and renovation of several primary health care buildings of the National Health Service enters, from now on, a new phase, announced today the Ministry of Health.
With the publication of the second call for applications for funding under the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR), funds are made available for the construction of 31 more new health centers and for the remodeling of 176 units, whose projects can now be submitted by the municipalities and other beneficiary entities.
This second notice, published on the websites of the Structure of the Mission to Recover Portugal and the Central Administration of the Health System, continues the execution of the PRR in the Health component, creating conditions for a new generation of infrastructures in primary care that allow responding to present needs and future population.
The 31 new health centers join the 52 new construction projects approved in the first notice of the PRR, launched in July 2022, and which are already being implemented on the ground. The PRR aims to build 100 new health units by 2026, with a total of more than 120 million euros now being published and/or approved for new construction, corresponding to 81% of the total allocation provided for this measure.
With regard to renovations, the 176 projects provided for in this second notice are in addition to the 132 projects previously approved. In total, the PRR will make it possible to renovate or adapt 326 health facilities, which will provide better healthcare in proximity, with facilities renovated and adapted in terms of energy efficiency, accessibility, safety and comfort, among other relevant dimensions. With this notice, this measure has published and/or approved 102 million euros, representing 65% of the total amount entered in the PRR for refurbishments.
Strengthening primary health care is presented as "a central priority" by the Ministry of Health.
«The funds from the PRR are making it possible to renovate many health centers throughout the country, providing better facilities for both professionals and users and also providing them with new equipment, which allow a greater capacity to solve the needs of the population, namely in carrying out examinations and analyses", explains the Ministry supervised by Manuel Pizarro.
This impulse «is being complemented with structural measures such as accelerating the creation of Type B Family Health Units and negotiations for the enhancement of the careers of different professional groups, with the aim of attracting and retaining teams in the SNS, in particular of the youngest”.
The Ministry announces that, next June, 300 new family doctors will start working, continuing the path to reinforce access to the family health team. The main objective is to strengthen primary health care as a gateway to the SNS and places for health promotion and disease prevention in the community.
The Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR) is a national application program, with an implementation deadline of 2026, which aims to implement reforms and investments aimed at restoring sustained economic growth after the pandemic, reinforcing the objective of convergence with Europe, by over the next decade.
The Health area is central to the PRR, with a total estimated budget of around 1300 billion euros for strengthening areas such as primary health care, but also the digital transition, integrated continuous care and palliative care, and the mental health.
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