Brazil to invest R$ 12.58 million in portable ultrasound devices

The Brazilian Ministry of Health has established a price registration agreement to acquire 500 portable pocket ultrasound machines. The total investment of R$ 12.58 million will support the Brazilian Agency for Support to the Management of the Unified Health System (AgSUS) in its operations within Basic Health Units (UBS).

Minister Alexandre Padilha stated that these devices allow medical and nursing staff to perform essential exams—including abdominal, obstetric, prenatal, and renal evaluations—directly at the primary care level. This initiative aims to reduce the need for patient referrals to hospitals or laboratories, thereby decreasing waiting times.

The equipment will be distributed to support the Mais Médicos program, which currently includes 27,000 doctors nationwide. Beneficiary states include Acre, Amazonas, Amapá, Pará, Rondônia, Roraima, Tocantins, Ceará, São Paulo, Bahia, Pernambuco, Paraíba, Alagoas, Rio Grande do Norte, Espírito Santo, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, Goiás, Mato Grosso do Sul, Mato Grosso, Paraná, Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, and the Distrito Federal.