Good news at last for Portugal’s healthcare system. A ‘reality check’ has shown healthcare in Portugal to come 16th in a European study on 35 countries.
The results show an “enormous” recovery from the picture last year, where the country ranked in 25th position.
Arne Bjornberg, president of Health Consumer Powerhouse (HCP) which undertook the study, said this means that “Portugal is among the first in Europe when it comes to prevention (of diseases)”.
Bjornberg added that his organisation will be “watching the way medical assistance develops in Portugal over time”, stressing that the financial crisis has not “caused worse medical results”.
This is positive news at a time when state hospitals everywhere are in the spotlight due to the government’s ongoing programme of austerity.
HCP’s results show Portugal winning an impressive 671 points out of a maximum of 1,000 for its performance in the category European Medical Assistance.
The winners this year are Holland, with 870 points, followed by Switzerland, Iceland, Denmark and Norway.
HCP prides itself on taking a “consumer and patient perspective”, describing its studies as “reality checks for policymakers, empowerment to patients and consumers and an opportunity for stakeholders to highlight weak and strong aspects of healthcare”.
Countries in the spotlight are all the EU’s 28 member states plus Iceland, Switzerland, Norway, Albania, Macedonia and Serbia.
