Over 2,700 consultations carried out at Algarve Ophthalmology Centre (COA) in its first year
The Algarve Ophthalmology Centre (COA) – located within the Terras do Infante hospital in Lagos – celebrated its first anniversary on October 12, having established itself as a key provider of ophthalmology services, not only for the western Algarve but for the entire region.
In a statement to the press, the Algarve Local Health Unit (USALG) has highlighted some of the biggest improvements that the ophthalmology centre has been responsible for.
Over 2,700 medical consultations were carried out in the centre’s first year, with 70% being first-time visits, leading to a 9.5% reduction in the waiting list for hospital consultations. Notably, the number of patients waiting over nine months for a consultation decreased by nearly 20%.
In addition to medical consultations, over 1,000 nursing consultations were performed, with half being pre-operative, “reflecting the centre’s growing surgical activity,” the USALG said in its statement.
Orthoptists – experts in diagnosing and treating defects in eye movement – also played a key role in the centre’s busy first year, conducting over 10,000 pre-consultation assessments.
On the surgical front, more than 500 ophthalmology surgeries were performed in 2024. The waiting list for surgeries also saw improvement, with a 30% reduction in patients waiting over 12 months.
The team at the ophthalmology centre, which initially included three doctors (two ophthalmologists and one anesthesiologist), along with orthoptists, nurses, and support staff, was recently strengthened with an additional doctor.
The ophthalmology centre is not the only successful new addition to the Lagos hospital, owned by private health group HPA but integrated since 2022 within the Algarve chain of State-run hospitals.
The reopening of the operating theatre in Lagos, closed since 2002, has enabled the introduction of new surgical specialties, including plastic surgery, general surgery, and dermatology. With two operating rooms and recovery areas now available, the hospital is seeing a sharp rise in demand, particularly in its emergency department, where activity has more than doubled, leading its management to look into the opening of new specialties.
In addition to ophthalmology, the hospital is expanding its services in physical medicine and rehabilitation, imaging, and obstetrics, while working closely with primary healthcare units to provide integrated outpatient care. The goal is to improve healthcare access for local municipalities by making the most of the hospital’s facilities and nearby clinical resources.
The ULSALG management has praised the efforts of the hospital staff and local authorities for their support in improving the quality and safety of healthcare provided, confirming that the Terras do Infante Hospital is a successful part of the National Health Service (SNS).
