According to the Government, the PRR amendments in this sector aimed to enhance the National Health Service’s capacity and meet the implementation deadline of 31 August 2026—the date by which the Plan’s targets and milestones must be completed.

“The PRR will contribute to the construction and renovation of 492 healthcare facilities—specifically, the construction of 55 new health centres, the refurbishment of 335, and the substantial completion of construction and refurbishment projects for another 102 health centres,” the Ministries of Health and of Economy and Territorial Cohesion detailed in a joint statement.

According to the Minister of Economy and Territorial Cohesion, Castro Almeida—quoted in the statement—“the adjustments to the PRR regarding healthcare were intended to direct more resources toward investments that improve the care provided to citizens, such as significant reinforcement through the acquisition of equipment for Local Health Units and the modernisation of the care delivery network.”

Quality of care

For Health Minister Ana Paula Martins, this boost in PRR funding for the healthcare sector represents “a very significant investment in the capacity and modernisation of the National Health Service.”

“We are channelling these resources into concrete projects that directly impact the quality of care provided to the population and the attractiveness of the sector for health professionals—ranging from the refurbishment and renovation of health facilities to the technological modernisation of hospitals and the upgrading of medical equipment,” the official highlights.

According to the Government’s assessment, “increased ambition in the health sector has translated into more funding and more work actually accomplished.”

It notes the introduction of a goal to refurbish 180 existing continuing care units through infrastructure renovation and equipment acquisition; this ensures that approximately 6,900 beds are better equipped to meet patient needs and deliver higher-quality care.

Regarding the National Integrated Continuing Care Network, the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR) includes 3,850 new beds—with 2,267 completed by 31 August and 1,583 nearing completion—the official points out.

Emergency evacuations

The Government also included the purchase of four new helicopters for emergency medical evacuations and the acquisition of 124 pieces of heavy medical equipment for National Health Service (SNS) hospitals and Armed Forces hospitals (in Lisbon and Porto).

Overall, the health sector saw its share of the PRR increase by approximately 630 million euros.

“With each reprogramming exercise, the health sector received additional financial support. Even when certain physical targets (such as the number of units to be built) were adjusted to align with the actual implementation capacity of project management entities through 31 August 2026, the released funds were redirected within the health sector itself rather than being withdrawn from the PRR,” the official emphasises.

The ministries note that “removing a project from the Plan does not mean it will not be implemented; it simply means it is no longer compatible with the execution timeframe, allowing it to shift to other funding sources, such as Portugal 2030, the European Investment Bank, or the State Budget.”