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Health

Healthcare system, public health, medical news, and wellness updates from Portugal.

Green volcanic cliffs and farmland headlands meeting the deep blue Atlantic on the coast of the Azores.

Azores Government Opens a Santa Maria Bypass and Hospital Scanner as the Island Council Presses Seven Demands

As the Azores government inaugurates a new Vila do Porto bypass and a hospital CT scanner on Santa Maria, the island's council hands over a seven-point memorandum of unmet needs, ranking health, transport and education at the top.

The Portugal Brief 28 Jun 2026

A doctor in a white coat reviewing a prescription with a patient during a clinic consultation

Back Pain Tops Portugal's Chronic-Illness League as INE Finds One in Three Adults Affected and a Majority Overweight

The latest INE National Health Survey finds low back pain is the country's most common chronic condition, affecting some 3.2 million adults, while more than half the population is overweight or obese and women carry a heavier load of chronic illness than men.

The Portugal Brief 28 Jun 2026

The sun blazing over a vast expanse of cracked, sun-baked earth

Portugal Braces for a 40°C Heatwave as Forecasters Warn of Tropical Nights and Rising Fire Risk

After a brief cool spell, IPMA expects a new heatwave from Thursday, with highs near 40°C in Lisbon and up to 42°C in the interior into early July, warm tropical nights and a sharp rise in wildfire risk across the country.

The Portugal Brief 27 Jun 2026

Private Hospital Revenue Reaches a Record €2.79 Billion in 2025 as Health-Insurance Take-Up Surges

Private Hospital Revenue Reaches a Record €2.79 Billion in 2025 as Health-Insurance Take-Up Surges

Private and public-private hospitals billed a combined €2.79 billion in 2025, up 9.5%, as more residents lean on health insurance and private care, according to Informa D&B.

The Portugal Brief 27 Jun 2026

Doctor with a stethoscope consulting a patient at a desk

New Patient-Registry Rules Put 122,000 Long-Absent Users at Risk of Losing Their Family Doctor

More than 122,000 people who have had no contact with Portugal's Serviço Nacional de Saúde (National Health Service, or SNS) for five years are at risk of losing their assigned family doctor ( médico de família ) under new rules governing the...

The Portugal Brief 26 Jun 2026

Health worker in a white coat with a stethoscope using a mobile phone

Altice Docks SNS 24 Operators' Pay for Bathroom and Snack Breaks

Operators who staff SNS 24 , the round-the-clock telephone line of Portugal's Serviço Nacional de Saúde (National Health Service, or SNS), say they lose part of their wages every time they step away from their station to use the toilet, eat a snack...

The Portugal Brief 26 Jun 2026

Health Regulator Fines One 'Integrative Medicine' Clinic While 54 Others Advertise Unchecked

Health Regulator Fines One 'Integrative Medicine' Clinic While 54 Others Advertise Unchecked

Portugal's health watchdog has fined a clinic 4,000 euros for marketing itself under the banner of "integrative medicine" — but a new investigation suggests the penalty is the rare exception rather than the rule. The Entidade Reguladora da Saúde...

The Portugal Brief 25 Jun 2026

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