Portugal hospital builds face cost overruns and tender setbacks

The Hospital de Todos‑os‑Santos in Lisbon, built under a public‑private partnership with Mota‑Engil, has seen its costs rise by €164 million, bringing the overall contract value above €800 million. The Tribunal de Contas rejected responsibility for the delays and noted the loss of €100 million of EU recovery funds originally allocated to the project. The new hospital will have 879 beds (1,065 in contingency) and replaces six existing facilities.

On Madeira, the third phase of the Central and University Hospital construction is being re‑tendered at €415 million, more than 50 % above the previous €265 million estimate. The government eliminated pre‑qualification requirements and plans to start the works in January 2025, aiming for completion by mid‑2030. Officials cite international energy, raw‑material and logistics price pressures as the main drivers of the cost increase and intend to import specialized labour for the project.