An EU-funded extension to the Hospital of Sousa Martins in Guarda, Portugal improves healthcare services to people living in the municipality of Foz Coa and in the Beira Interior Norte and Serra da Estrela regions.
- 22 April 2016
The construction of a new block replacing older facilities, along with the purchase of new equipment, allowed the hospital to improve the quality of healthcare services and expand the offer of services for about 160 000 people living in the region, while helping to reduce waiting times.
The project increases the responsiveness of the hospital to people’s health needs by improving the quality of its infrastructure and technological resources. It is expected to contribute to the quality and life expectancy of nearby population, and create around 300 jobs during the construction phase.
Replacing damaged facilities
The new hospital block replaces damaged facilities and allows the hospital to expand the health services it offers to the region. The new block replaces the most degraded areas of the hospital and concentrates and groups services – once scattered throughout various pavilions – in more functional and appropriate ways. It is foreseen that other facilities of the old hospital will also be renovated in the future.
The project also includes the purchase of equipment for surgery rooms, internal and external consultations, and facilities for outpatients, imaging, and other services installed in the new block.
The project is in line with Portugal’s health service planning and with the priorities defined in the National Health Plan 2004-2010. The investment consists of the construction of a block of four levels with a total gross floor area of 47 018.6 m2.
The block includes areas for surgery, anesthesiology, a central laboratory, surgical inpatient services, general emergency services, outpatient wards, special tests, imaging, sterilisation facilities, a pharmacy, a medical examiner, mortuary facilities and parking.
New medical equipment
The investment also includes the purchase of equipment for magnetic resonance imaging, computerised tomography, conventional radiology (including a whole body bone densitometer), echographs, obstetrics/gynaecology, ophthalmology, microsurgery, cardiology, pulmonology, gastroenterology (endoscopes), dermatology, and clinical pathology. Lung ventilators, emergency and resuscitation equipment, ear, nose and throat medical devices, infusion pumps and parenteral nutrition devices are also included in the investment, along with beds and other equipment.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “Extension of the Hospital of Sousa Martins” is EUR 53 948 084, with the EU’s European Regional Development Fund contributing EUR 45 855 871 through the “Centro” Operational Programme for the 2007-2013 programming period.