Portugal plans health reform to merge DGS and INSA

The Portuguese government is finalizing a major health sector reform that includes the creation of a new public health agency through the merger of the Direção-Geral da Saúde (DGS) and the Instituto Nacional de Saúde Doutor Ricardo Jorge (INSA). The reorganization, led by the Ministry of State Reform, also aims to transform the Executive Directorate of the National Health Service (DE-SNS) into a new body that may integrate the Central Administration of the Health System (ACSS) and parts of the Shared Services of the Ministry of Health (SPMS).

The Portuguese Communist Party (PCP) has expressed strong opposition to the proposed merger. The party argues that dissolving these long-standing institutions could reduce response capacities, compromise scientific research, and weaken public services. The PCP claims the reform may lead to a reduction in staff and the transfer of activities to private companies, drawing parallels to recent administrative changes in the education sector.