Moving right
In March, Portugal underwent elections, resulting in the formation of a new government. Holding a centre-right stance and possessing limited parliamentary support, the government aims to engage in negotiations with various political parties to enact new public policies.
Portuguese Minister of Health – Ana Paula Martins
Healthcare Agenda:
The electoral agenda of the new government emphasizes that “The constitutional guarantee of universal access to care must be fulfilled using all existing and duly articulated public, private and social means, in a competitive system that rewards efficiency and quality of the health response to citizens.”
Central to this vision is the conviction that what is fundamental is “ to guarantee the provision of the service: healthcare for sick and healthy people (…)”To achieve this, the government advocates for a holistic approach, mobilizing resources across sectors to maximize service delivery and place individuals at the centre of public policy.
Promoting Collaboration:
There seems to be a strong drive to pave the way for a greater involvement of private healthcare providers in bolstering access to care for the population, whether through expanding overall healthcare capacity or enhancing collaboration with the Portuguese National Health Service (SNS).
Perspective of Private Hospitals:
Private Hospitals are optimistic regarding the new Minister of Health, renowned for her expertise in the sector. There’s a shared hope that she will fully embrace her role, diligently address the healthcare challenges facing the Portuguese population, and steer efforts toward ensuring the sustainability of the healthcare system.
Building Trust and Long-Term Planning:
Crucially, there’s recognition of the need to cultivate trust among the various stakeholders and adopt a medium to long-term perspective for effective planning of investments and operational activities.
Article by Oscar Gaspar – President of he Portuguese Association of Private Hospitals (APHP)
