According to the Minister of Health, Ana Paula Martins, the percentage of foreigners in these conditions assisted by the SNS has been increasing.

For example, she said that the percentage of people served by the SNS without insurance or protocol has increased, going from 32% in 2021 to 37% in 2022, 40% in 2023 and, this year, until September, to 47%.

In total, until September 20, 50,065 were treated in the SNS under these conditions.

In October, on the sidelines of the 125th anniversary ceremony of the Directorate-General for Health, the minister considered that health tourism is a “sensitive matter” with some contours that need to be investigated, but reinforced that the SNS “does not show anyone the door".