A document accessed by Lusa reveals that the government acknowledges the deadline for completing the construction of all new inpatient beds by June 30, 2026, will not be met. Consequently, it proposes reallocating available funds to prevent the closure of some structures.
Data from the Central Administration of the Health System (ACSS) as of May show that there are 385 service provider units for ULDM (Long-Term and Maintenance Unit), UMDM (Medium-Term and Rehabilitation Unit), and UC (Convalescence Unit), totaling around 10,000 beds. The government acknowledges that intervention is needed in 65% of the units within the network, amounting to approximately 75% of the beds.
The proposed adjustment to the PRR target concerning the National Network for Integrated Continued Care and the National Network for Palliative Care includes potential renovation works such as the maintenance or replacement of vacuum and medical gas systems, replacement of articulated beds and other clinical furniture, acquisition or replacement of surgical medical equipment and devices, as well as refrigeration equipment for medications and nursing call systems.
Institutions will also be allowed to purchase new emergency vehicles, buy new or replace medication carts, hygiene carts, and treatment carts (laundry, cleaning, among others), improve electrical feeding systems and HVAC systems, and replace windows, exterior doors, fire doors, or security and video intercom systems.
Interventions may also include facade or flooring works, installation of photovoltaic panels for self-consumption, replacement of IT equipment, acquisition of lift transfers (cranes), and stretchers for cadavers.
An email received Thursday by units in the North, Center, and Lisbon and Tagus Valley, accessed by Lusa, requests regional coordinating teams to fill out a chart with information about the works the institutions identify as capable of meeting the indicated parameters, the estimated cost of the work, and the time required for completion, with a deadline set for today.
“Instead of structural investments, which cannot be implemented at present due to temporal constraints, this approach prioritizes feasible and strategic interventions aligned with the strategic objectives of the expansion and qualification of the National Network for Integrated Continued Care (RNCCI),” states the proposal.
Last week, the president of the National Association for Continued Care (ANCC) revealed that over 100 million euros from the PRR allocated to the continued care area would be wasted due to “enormous delays” and works not being completed on time, lamenting that the government “encouraged units to proceed with works despite knowing of the significant delays.”
On Monday, in a response sent to Lusa, the Ministry of Health admitted that some institutions had signed contracts under the PRR for continued care and had requested termination, impacting over 870 beds.
Following this, on Tuesday, the Minister of Economy and Territorial Cohesion, Manuel Castro Almeida, rejected the notion that Portugal was behind in implementing the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR), expressing confidence that the country would fully execute the subsidies from the European stimulus package.
On Wednesday, the president of the ANCC questioned the Minister of Economy’s forecast and insisted that 100 million euros would be wasted due to delays within the sector it represents.
Lusa sought comments from the Ministries of Economy and Health regarding this proposal for fund reallocation, but no response has been received yet.
