The government has strengthened 29 SNS hospitals with medical equipment

Almost three dozen hospital units of the National Health Service (SNS) will receive heavy medical equipment, and the €117 million investment includes the purchase of six surgical robots, the chief executive of SNS (DE-SNS) said on Tuesday.

The package includes 18 MRI, 25 CT, 13 angiographs, eight gamma cameras and 11 linear accelerators.

DE-SNS information sent to Lusa also highlighted that six surgical robots will be acquired to “enable the establishment of a surgical robotics network in the country, with five existing units and two in the acquisition phase.” , which will increase the number of devices with these characteristics on the network to 13.

This investment was announced on November 13 in Coimbra by Health Minister Ricardo Mestre after the inauguration of the country’s first digital gamma camera (diagnostic testing equipment) at the Coimbra Hospital and University Center (CHUC).

This Tuesday in Porto, the program is scheduled to be formalized at a meeting entitled “Technological Upgrade of SNS Hospitals”, which will be attended by representatives of the 29 hospital departments that will receive new equipment.

In a conversation with Lusa, DE-SNS said that hospital departments will benefit from the program “throughout 2024, with the obligation to submit appropriate applications.”

The ceremony, scheduled for 11 a.m., at the Portuguese Institute of Oncology in Porto, will be attended by Health Minister Ricardo Mestre, SNS Executive Director, Fernando Araújo, President of the Central Health Authority. System (ACSS) Vitor Herdeiro and Resilience Coordinator of the Restoration Portugal Mission structure Conceição Carvalho.

€117 million registered in the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR).

The money is divided into two funding lines – the SNS Technology Upgrade Programme, which will install 68 pieces of heavy medical equipment at SNS sites across the country at a cost of €100 million.

In addition to the acquisition of heavy medical equipment for the SNA units in the Lisbon and Tagus Valley region, including the installation of equipment worth more than 17 million euros and a total of 13 pieces of equipment, as stated in the DE-SNA summary.

There will be a total of 81 pieces of equipment, replacing 75 “outdated” units, the executive director adds.

The group of beneficiary institutions includes the following hospital units of SNS: Hospital Center of Leiria, Hospital Center of Lisbon East, Hospital Center of Setubal, Hospital Center of Trás os Montes and Alto Douro, Hospital Center of Vila Nova de Gaia/Espinho, Hospital Center Baixo Vuga, Barreiro and Montijo Hospital Center, Medio Ave Hospital Center, Coimbra Hospital Center and University, Tondela Viseu Hospital Center, Central Hospital University Center of Lisbon, Central Hospital University University of North Lisbon, University of Santo António Hospital, University Hospital Center of San -João, Algarve University Hospital Center, Senhora da Oliveira Hospital – Guimarães, Braga Hospital, Loures Hospital, Santarém Regional Hospital, Espirito Santo Hospital – Évora, García de Orta Hospital and Prof. Dutor Fernando Fonseca Hospital.

Beneficiaries also include the cancer institutes of Coimbra, Porto and Lisbon, as well as the local health institutions of Matosinhos, Alto Minho, Littoral Alentejano and Norte Alentejano.

In Coimbra, announcing this investment, Ricardo Mestre spoke of the goal of renewing “the entire SNS technology park,” putting it “at the service of professionals and people.”

“We are in the process of major investments in the SNA and reforming its technological park, modernizing it and bringing the best technologies in the world to the country,” the official said.

In information sent to Lusa, DE-SNS emphasizes that “the introduction of technological innovation at SNS, embodied in the acquisition of new state-of-the-art heavy medical equipment and surgical robotics, will increase the attractiveness and retention of healthcare professionals.”