Brazil expands SUS capacity through private hospital partnerships

SUS Agora Tem Especialistas healthcare expansion private hospital partnerships medical procedures

The Brazilian Ministry of Health is expanding the capacity of the Unified Health System (SUS) through the ‘Agora Tem Especialistas’ program. This initiative involves contracts with private and philanthropic hospitals across 21 states to perform over 600,000 free procedures, including exams, consultations, and surgeries.

Under this model, private institutions provide services to public patients in exchange for tax credits used to offset federal debts. Significant investments and procedure counts are being distributed nationwide:

• São Paulo: 83,000 procedures with an investment of over R$ 41.8 million. • Pernambuco: 18,060 procedures with an investment of approximately R$ 68.8 million. • Bahia: 18,273 procedures with an investment of approximately R$ 49.9 million. • Minas Gerais: 205,000 procedures with an investment of over R$ 124.7 million.

In Goiás, the city of Goiânia has partnered with Hospital Santa Maria to offer over 620 monthly elective surgeries. Additionally, in Ceará, the program has facilitated the inspection of 45 sanitary transport vehicles, including ambulances and minibuses, to support patient movement for specialized treatments, backed by an investment of R$ 19.2 million under the Novo PAC Saúde.