São Paulo expands public eye‑care network in interior cities

The Instituto de Assistência Médica ao Servidor Público Estadual (IAMSPE) added four specialized ophthalmology hospitals to its accredited network in the interior of São Paulo state. Two new centers opened in Ribeirão Preto, one in Presidente Prudente – the Visare Hospital de Olhos – and one in Registro. State civil servants and their dependents in these regions can now receive consultations, diagnostic exams and surgical procedures for cataract, glaucoma, retinal, corneal and other eye conditions without traveling to São Paulo city.

The expansion targets the profile of IAMSPE’s beneficiaries, the majority of whom are over 60 years old and thus at higher risk for cataracts, glaucoma and age‑related macular degeneration. Visare’s technical director, Claudio R. Soares Vieira, said, “Many times patients needed to travel long distances for specialized ophthalmologic care. This reduces the displacement and facilitates medical follow‑up.”

The move is part of a broader IAMSPE strategy that anticipates 26 new tenders in the second half of 2026 to contract health services across the state’s interior.