A total of 34 health centres are to be built next year after the government announced a significant boost in funding for the national health service.
The majority of these units will be built from scratch, with a handful being subjected to extensive facelifts.
Overall, the Health Ministry predicts the conclusion of this bold venture to come at a cost of 34 million euros.
According to Health Minister Adalberto Campos, 34 different agreements were signed with towns and cities across the country “for what will be the biggest wave ever of health centre construction.”
The majority of these health care centres will be located in the Greater Lisbon Area, with only one earmarked for the Algarve.
Health Secretary Fernando Araújo explained that part of the funding for these centres will come from European Union funds.
The agreement with local authorities also means that red tape has been reduced to a minimum, with building work very close to starting.
It is estimated that all 34 of these health centres will be up and running within 12 and 14 months from now.
In addition to the announcement of the new health centres, the Health Ministry said this week that funding had been boosted by over 350 million euros for 2017, which is up just under four percent on last year.
Part of the additional funding for the Portuguese health service will come from a sugar tax, which will be levied on fizzy drinks in 2017.
An estimated 80 million euros will be made available to the Health Ministry as a direct result of the tax.
This comes as it was revealed this week that around 100 Portuguese doctors had filed paperwork to emigrate during the first six months of the year.
Responding to questions levelled at him by opposition MPs, Health Minister Campos said these numbers, provided by the Medical Society show a significant improvement on previous years.
A total of 394 doctors sought greener pastures to exercise their profession in 2014, which was followed by an additional 475 a year later.
These numbers exclude specialists who have sought employment with private Portuguese healthcare providers.
But according to the Health Minister, the apparent slowdown in the exodus of Portuguese doctors is “a clear indication that we have hired more specialists for hospitals than in any of the past five years.”