Africa-Press – Cape verde. The State spent, from 2023 to the first quarter of 2025, 3.52 million contos on medical evacuations abroad, revealed today the Minister of Health, Jorge Figueiredo, during the presentation of the project for the future National Hospital of Cape Verde.
“We have seen a sharp and continued increase in evacuations abroad, particularly to Portugal. By 2025 alone, the number of evacuations contracted with Portugal will reach 300 patients per year. Meanwhile, we have been steadily increasing the number of patients evacuated. Currently, we are evacuating three times as many patients. That is, 300% more than contractually stipulated,” he said.
According to Jorge Figueiredo, among the specialties that weigh most heavily on the State budget are cardiology, oncology and ophthalmology, which together represented 627 thousand contos from 2023 to the first quarter of 2025.
Still, more than 400 patients remain on the waiting list for evacuation, he noted.
This reality, according to the minister, demonstrates the urgency of strengthening the internal response capacity of the Unified Health System.
“This clearly determines the need for us to invest at a national level to respond with quality to this situation,” he stressed.
In response to this problem, the Government decided to move forward with the construction of the National Hospital of Cape Verde, an infrastructure that will be the highest hierarchical reference point for the national health system.
The hospital will be modern, equipped with new technologies and will have highly qualified human resources, with specialized services that currently do not exist or are insufficient in the country.
“The hospital will provide highly specialized medical and surgical services and will help to significantly reduce the number of evacuations abroad,” the minister assured.
At the same time, a strategic plan for medical and specialty training in the country is underway, starting at the national hospital itself. The intention is to create an advanced specialized training program, focusing on areas that do not yet exist in Cape Verde, promoting self-sufficiency in terms of personnel and reducing external dependence.
“The hospital will also serve as a space for teaching, exchanging experiences, conducting and publishing studies, and absorbing new technologies. It will, therefore, be a center of innovation,” he explained.
The Minister of Health also acknowledged that, despite the advances made in the sector, current central hospitals are unable to meet all the demands that motivate evacuations.
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