Portugal’s Health Minister, Paulo Macedo, is insisting on a capital increase of €425.6 million for 19 of the country’s hospitals, and he wants it added to next year’s budget.
Macedo has put the figure in the Heath Service’s budget submission which will save many hospitals from bankruptcy.
Of the 19 hospitals to receive this much needed boost, five are in Lisbon which has €76 million earmarked, and in Setúbal where he wants to send €73.1 million.
The third largest capital increase is for the newly formed Centro Hospitalar do Algarve which is in line for an impressive €69.4 million to ease the Algarve's health service back to financial health.
Paulo Macedo said back in September that a third of state hospitals are technically bankrupt with an overall deficit of €320 million in 2010 which grew to €300 million by the end of 2011.
