What I learned from My Stays in Public and Private Hospitals in Portugal
Or...Do Whatever You Can To STAY AWAY From Public Hospitals in Portugal
I was hit by a car when running on my birthday. I would not recommend it. However, this experience allowed me to get hands on experience with the Portuguese healthcare system and the different types of hospitals in Portugal. If you’re too damn lazy to read through this post, long story short, do your best to stay out of the public system. Yeah, public is cheap (my surgery and treatment for the day of the accident had no cost), but the cost of a private hospital, once you have insurance, will make the experience well worth it. Let me tell you about my experiences in both the public hospital and private hospital in Lisbon.
Types of Hospitals in Portugal
Public Hospitals
Known in Portuguese as a hospital público.
Managed by the Portuguese National Health Service (Serviço Nacional de Saúde, aka the SNS).
- There are 111 public hospitals in Portugal
Private Hospitals
Known in Portuguese as a hospital particular or hospital privado.
Managed by private healthcare companies.
- There are 127 public hospitals in Portugal
Emergency Room Admission
Antonio rant area. Include some piece about you not experiencing the normal admission at the public hospital since you were brought in by the ambulance both times and that the bottom part is how you would be admitted if you walked in.
Also include info about the huge wait and the 5 hours spent and the pain killer debacle you went through at Luz.
Speaking of the wait for the public hospital, there is a HUGE reason why the emergency room is so busy at public hospital is that Portuguese people don’t like to wait to be seen at the regular departments of the hospitals, so they go to emergency. According to DN, at least 40% of emergency room visits in Portuguese hospitals aren’t true emergencies, they range from things such as dandruff, allergies, and fevers. This also affects private hospitals, but at least the wait there will be a tad more pleasant.
Public Hospitals
Take a senha ticket to be admitted or addressed.
Wait to be called.
- Once called, you will be asked for your SNS number and personal information.
- You will need to sit and wait to be called in for care.
- The wait varies by time. Usually mid day it gets very busy.
Private Hospitals
Take a senha ticket to be admitted or addressed.
Wait to be called.
- Once called, you will be asked for your insurance and personal information.
- You will need to sit and wait to be called into triagem.
- In triagem, you will be asked about whatever is ailing you, this info will be fed to the person who will take care of you.
- Then you will be called in by name to see the doctor who will be taking care of you.
- Your care will depend on what you have wrong with you.
PRO TIP
- If you have a medical emergency, call 112. That is the emergency number or the equivalent of 911 in the US.
The Actual Emergency Room
This is where you will rant about the public vs private and the crazy people in drunk tank.
Public Hospitals
No privacy, all rooms are shared rooms with anywhere from 20 to 50 people.
The doctors are good, but clearly overworked. They will have no qualms about telling you how tired they are while they are performing services on you.
- Speaking of doctors and nurses, some of these hospitals are teaching hospitals, so it is always extra nice when you’re bleeding from everywhere and they decide to have the kids practice putting in ports for needles. I had 5 ports in my arms at one point.
- Did I mention it is a drunk tank? Yeah, I stayed in the observation room over night. The cops kept bringing in drunks, people who had been in fights…you name it.
Private Hospitals
You have privacy with your doctor, when you walk in you go into their office, there are no shared rooms.
The doctors are good, but care depends on who you get. Some are better than others.
- I saw only actual doctors at the ER, no students…which was at least reassuring.
- The observation area has private rooms (they are doorless), but you will have complete privacy and quiet. This makes all the difference when you aren’t feeling so well.
Staying Overnight
Go crazy! Write it all
Public Hospitals
Rooms are shared. There is no choice in your roomate.
There is no bathroom in your room. There is one bathroom that is shared by your whole department and all its patients.
- There is a TV set to Portuguese television. There is no wifi and no entertainment.
- You are not allowed to have valuables with you. It took a lot of cajoling to be allowed to bring my iPad and phone.
Private Hospitals
You can choose to have a private room or a shared room with one other person.
There is a bathroom per hospital room.
- There was a smart TV set up with internet browsing and entertainment. There is also wifi.
- There is a locker and closet in your room so you can have whatever valuables you want and not worry about them getting stolen.
Hospital Food
Go crazy! Write it all
Public Hospitals
Rooms are shared. There is no choice in your roomate.
There is no bathroom in your room. There is one bathroom that is shared by your whole department and all its patients.
- There is a TV set to Portuguese television. There is no wifi and no entertainment.
- You are not allowed to have valuables with you. It took a lot of cajoling to be allowed to bring my iPad and phone.
Private Hospitals
You can choose to have a private room or a shared room with one other person.
There is a bathroom per hospital room.
- There was a smart TV set up with internet browsing and entertainment. There is also wifi.
- There is a locker and closet in your room so you can have whatever valuables you want and not worry about them getting stolen.