Portugal

Health care system of Portugal at its current stage of development is under the control of the Sanitary National System (SNS) comprised of five sectors: the network of state hospitals, regional health services, private medical centres, the National Institute for Medical emergencies, and the network of state-licensed private drugstores.

Portuguese authorities are actively restructuring health care system with the aim of creating balance between the state and private sector, as well as improving the quality of medical service provision. By the estimates of the World Health Organization, each year Portugal is confidently moving up the rating list of world countries by many medical indices (level of emergency aid, rendered medical services, technical facilitation, etc.)

Portuguese medicine avails of cutting-edge medical technologies, treatment and checkup methods. Doctors regularly update their professional skills in the Netherlands, Belgium, England, Sweden, and the USA. Doctors and medical personnel of most Portuguese clinics located in major cities (Lisbon, Porto, Faro, Amadora, Braga, Setúbal) speak English, Portuguese, French, German, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian languages. Overseas patients receive guaranteed individual approach in treatment as well as care and attention on the part of medical personnel.

Private medical centres complement the state health care service and are extremely popular today among foreign citizens, especially from Germany and the UK. Dental services are the most consumer-demanded medical field in Portugal and are provided value for money. Aesthetic dentistry, implantology, tooth whitening, prosthetics are the most popular dental services. Treatment procedures may last from several hours to several days, with applying advanced technologies (controlled 3-D ultrasonic micro-vibrations, invisible brace systems, 3D-systems). Treatment can be excellently combined with resort recreation and recovery at the Atlantic coast.

Recommended time for treatment: March to July, September to November.

Health care system of Portugal at its current stage of development is under the control of the Sanitary National System (SNS) comprised of five sectors: the network of state hospitals, regional health services, private medical centres, the National Institute for Medical emergencies, and the network of state-licensed private drugstores.

Portuguese authorities are actively restructuring health care system with the aim of creating balance between the state and private sector, as well as improving the quality of medical service provision. By the estimates of the World Health Organization, each year Portugal is confidently moving up the rating list of world countries by many medical indices (level of emergency aid, rendered medical services, technical facilitation, etc.)

Portuguese medicine avails of cutting-edge medical technologies, treatment and checkup methods. Doctors regularly update their professional skills in the Netherlands, Belgium, England, Sweden, and the USA. Doctors and medical personnel of most Portuguese clinics located in major cities (Lisbon, Porto, Faro, Amadora, Braga, Setúbal) speak English, Portuguese, French, German, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian languages. Overseas patients receive guaranteed individual approach in treatment as well as care and attention on the part of medical personnel.

Private medical centres complement the state health care service and are extremely popular today among foreign citizens, especially from Germany and the UK. Dental services are the most consumer-demanded medical field in Portugal and are provided value for money. Aesthetic dentistry, implantology, tooth whitening, prosthetics are the most popular dental services. Treatment procedures may last from several hours to several days, with applying advanced technologies (controlled 3-D ultrasonic micro-vibrations, invisible brace systems, 3D-systems). Treatment can be excellently combined with resort recreation and recovery at the Atlantic coast.

Recommended time for treatment: March to July, September to November.

3*- from €45;

4*- from €80;

5*- from €100.

Cozido à portuguesa (rich stew made from beef, pork or chicken served with cabbage, carrots, turnips, Portuguese smoked sausages, rice, and potatoes), Caldeirada (typical Portuguese stew consisting of a large variety of sea products with potatoes, tomato and onion), Feijoada (stew of beans with beef and pork), arroz doce (dish made from rice mixed with water or milk and sometimes other ingredients).

Alfama (a village inside Lisbon with whitewashed homes, tiny squares, interesting churches, and wrought iron balconies strung with flower pots and drying laundry), Torre de Belem in Lisbon (attractive and unique monument and the tower’s distinct shape is sharply defined by the water; it was built as an integral aspect of a defensive system at the mouth of the river Tagus), Sintra (UNESCO World Heritage Site, favourite summer resort for nobility and the wealthy for several centuries with the Moorish Castle dating back to the 8^th century and the fairytale castle Palacio Nacional da Pena).

Gulbenkian Museum (incredible private collection of the European multi-millionaire consisting of ancient paintings, Middle Eastern art, and Egyptian sculptures), Museu Nacional do Azulejo (houses a wonderful collection of decorative tiles both from Portugal and abroad that date back to the 15th century), Carnaval (5-day celebration in February with colorful costumes, traditional dances and boisterous marches), Meia Praia (picturesque beaches offering recreational sporting opportunities, which include paragliding, beach volleyball, sailing as well as beachfront bars), the Island of Madeira (volcanic island with its dramatic peaks, magnificent cliffs, and a wide variety of orchids).