Sal Island could soon have a private health sector association

As part of his three-day visit to Sal Island, between 26 and 28 February, the Minister for Health, Jorge Figueiredo, announced one of the key recommendations arising from a meeting with the private healthcare sector. This meeting took place on the afternoon of 26 February and aimed to discuss challenges and proposals for more effective collaboration between the public and private sectors.

Sal Island, as one of the country’s main tourist destinations, is facing significant pressure on its health services due to the constant influx of tourists and growing demands for improved care. During the meeting, Jorge Figueiredo engaged in an open and constructive dialogue with the management of the island’s private clinics, doctors’ surgeries, laboratories and pharmacies, with a view to exploring the prospects for an effective partnership.

One of the key recommendations to emerge from the meeting was the establishment of a private-sector healthcare association, which would enable stronger organisation and more effective engagement with the government and other institutions in tackling the major challenges faced. This proposal was well received by the Minister of Health, who believes that the formation of this association will facilitate relations between the public and private sectors.

Other issues raised during the meeting concerned the INPS’s contribution towards the cost of physiotherapy sessions and certain diagnostic tests, the updating of the national list of tests – which dates back to the 1990s – as well as the revision of legislation and the regulation of relations between the public and private sectors.

At the end of the meeting, the participants were optimistic about the next steps in this partnership, hoping for significant progress in improving the healthcare system.

The main aim of the minister’s visit was to gain an insight into how the island’s health services operate and to monitor the progress of the works currently under way, with a view to setting targets for the year 2025.