Government reinforces SNS with 200 million

The Government has authorized an increase in funds for the ULS and IPO, totaling 199,143,261 euros (199.1 million), through of a joint order from the Minister of State and Finance, Joaquim Miranda Sarmento, and the Minister of Health, Ana Paula Martins.

The Local Health Units (ULS) and the Portuguese Oncology Institutes (IPO) will thus receive around 200 million euros “to pay the debts of these entities of the National Health Service (SNS), with the aim of strengthening their financial sustainability”, the Ministries said.

This 200 million euro budget is intended to settle debts to external suppliers that are more than 90 days overdue. This is a measure that “reinforces the sustainability of the NHS”, the Government stresses.

The statement says that “this is an ongoing effort to ensure the provision of high-quality and accessible healthcare to all citizens and to also ensure due commitments to all companies that ensure the daily supply of goods and services necessary for the proper functioning of the NHS”.

“It is important to ensure the sustainability of the SNS entities that provide healthcare, the improvement of their operational efficiency, the adequacy of available resources and the valorization of their good performance”, he adds.

The implementation of this measure will be monitored by the Central Administration of the Health System, IP (ACSS) and by the General Inspectorate of Finance (IGF), guarantees the Government, which says that this monitoring will be “through rigorous mechanisms that ensure transparency and good management of the funds allocated”.

“This action reflects a strategic and integrated vision for the future sustainability of the NHS, focusing on its valorization as a fundamental pillar of the Social State and an essential instrument for social cohesion”, highlights the joint statement.