President Confirms Sale of Dr. Nélio Mendonça Hospital
Yesterday, the president of Madeira’s regional government, Miguel Albuquerque, confirmed on January 23 that the public Dr. Nélio Mendonça Hospital will be sold. Speaking on the sidelines of the I Living Care Forum at the Madeira Press Museum in Câmara de Lobos, he said the decision to sell the building has already been taken and will not be reversed.
According to Albuquerque, the income from the sale will be used to help cover part of the construction costs of the new Central and University Hospital of Madeira. He ruled out any reuse of the building for social care purposes, arguing that such options would not be viable.
Today, you cannot install a care home in a building that was not designed for that purpose. That would involve excessive costs and dysfunctions that are not sustainable from a financial and functional point of view
Miguel Albuquerque, Diário de Notícias Madeira
LIVRE Calls Sale “Historic Social Mistake” and Demands Public Vote
On January 23, LIVRE expressed “total opposition” to selling Dr. Nélio Mendonça Hospital, calling it a “historic social mistake.” The party argued the region has enough funding, via Madeira 2030 and the Recovery and Resilience Plan, to build the new hospital without selling public assets. LIVRE highlighted over 1,000 elderly people on care home waiting lists and warned that losing 54,000 m² of healthcare space worsens shortages. The party called for a binding public consultation and said the sale favors luxury projects over urgent social and elderly care needs.
Socialists Oppose Sale on January 24 After Recent 3 Million Euro Tender
Today, January 24, the Socialist Party in Madeira reaffirmed its strong opposition to the sale, stressing that significant public investment has recently been made in the hospital. After a meeting of the PS-M Regional Commission, the party leader, Célia Pessegueiro, said the party had already submitted a draft resolution to the Legislative Assembly of Madeira to stop the process.
She pointed to what she described as substantial public spending in recent years, including a public tender worth 3 million euros launched two months ago under the Recovery and Resilience Plan. That project aimed to remodel two floors of the hospital.
Socialists Cite Around 250 Problematic Discharge Cases Lacking Adequate Care
The Socialist Party argues that closing and selling the hospital would worsen existing gaps in health and social care. According to the party, Madeira currently faces around 250 cases of problematic hospital discharges, involving patients who cannot return home but do not need acute hospital treatment.
Pessegueiro said several wings of Dr. Nélio Mendonça Hospital have already been remodeled and equipped to deal with rehabilitation, continuing and palliative care, as well as other services that do not require a central hospital setting. Keeping these services in place, she argued, would allow the future Central Hospital to focus on its main role.
It makes no sense to open a new hospital carrying all the current problems of lack of organization and space
Thus emphasizing that selling the old hospital makes no sense, because it already handles rehabilitation, palliative care, and problematic discharges
/embe
RIR Accuses Government of Disregard of Madeira’s Older Population
On January 23, RIR criticized the decision to sell Dr. Nélio Mendonça Hospital, citing “political bad faith” and disregard for Madeira’s elderly population. Party coordinator Liana Reis argued that claims about high adaptation costs do not justify ignoring urgent social needs. RIR has repeatedly proposed keeping the hospital as a backup facility for problematic discharges, supporting transitional care and social assistance. “What is lacking in Madeira is political will, planning centered on people, and respect for those who built this region,” the party said, pledging to continue defending public health and elderly care.
MPT Says Hospital Could Solve Problematic Discharges
On January 24, the MPT (Public Prosecutor's Office) argued that Dr. Nélio Mendonça Hospital could help address Madeira’s problematic discharge cases. While the building cannot function as a nursing home, the party proposed converting it into an Integrated Continued Care Unit (UCCI) to provide 24-hour health and social support. Currently, around 230 patients occupy about one-third of the hospital’s 600 beds, a number expected to rise. The MPT questioned the financial reasoning for selling the building, noting that the regional government reported a 126.6 million euro surplus at the end of November 2025.
PPM Criticizes Sale on January 23 and Proposes Alternative Public Uses
The Popular Monarchical Party of Madeira (PPM) also criticized the decision, calling it a political choice based on weak arguments. In a press statement, the party questioned the government’s claims about high renovation costs, pointing instead to the ongoing expenses associated with the Hospital dos Marmeleiros.
The PPM proposed using the Dr. Nélio Mendonça building to respond to problematic discharges or transferring all services currently located at Marmeleiros to the site. The party also suggested creating a unit dedicated to the treatment of drug addiction, with medical and psychological support, citing a rise in homelessness on the island.
Chega Demands Full Transparency in January 23 Statement on Alienation
In a separate statement released yesterday, the Chega party demanded full transparency in any sale of the hospital. Miguel Castro, president of the party’s regional political committee, said the building is “an essential public asset, paid for by Madeirans,” and warned against treating it as a simple financial resource.
“Being public property, all steps must be public, clear and open to scrutiny,” he said, adding that citizens have the right to know who buys the building, for what purpose and under which conditions.
Chega said it would only accept a sale if the property continues to serve a public purpose linked to health care and rejected any transformation of the hospital into luxury housing, hotels or private real estate projects.
Sources:
Diário de Notícias Madeira
JM-Madeira
Diário de Notícias Madeira
Diário de Notícias Madeira
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