Summary
In 2013, there were 226 hospitals in Portugal, a number that increased by 6% in 11 years (from 213 in 2002 to 226 hospitals in 2013), specially the number of private hospitals (94 in 2002 to 107 in 2013). In the same period, it was also registered a trend for the increase of private hospitals concerning attendances at emergency services, hospitalisations, external appointments and complementary means of diagnosis and treatment. The predominance of public hospitals remained in the case of major and medium surgeries.
In 2012, there were 387 official clinics in Portugal, of which 94 with basic emergency service (SUB) or permanent or prolonged attendance service (SAP) and 17 with hospitalisation. In 10 years, there was a sharp decrease in the number of official clinics with SUB or SAP and hospitalisation, and consequently in attendances at emergency services and hospitalisations in these healthcare providers. There was also a reduction in the number of outpatient medical appointments, however in a smaller degree.
The number of doctors registered in the Medical Portuguese Association rose by more than 11,000 between 2002 and 2013, resulting in an increase of 3.2 to 4.3 doctors per 1,000 inhabitants.
In the same period the number of nurses registered in the Nurses Portuguese Association rose by circa 24 thousand professionals, resulting in an increase of 4.0 to 6.3 nurses per 1,000 inhabitants.
In 2013, the majority of deaths in the country were caused by diseases of the circulatory system (29.5%), and malignant neoplasms (24.3%). Concerning the first group, the main specific causes were the cerebrovascular diseases and ischaemic heart diseases, while malignant neoplasms of larynx, of trachea and of bronchus and lung, malignat neoplasms of colon, malignant neoplasms of stomach and malignant neoplasms of lymphoid / haematopoietic stood out in the case of malignant tumors.