13-12-2024 - In 2023, the hospitals in the Autonomous Region of Madeira recorded a 17.2% increase in outpatient appointments conducted in hospital outpatient units

In 2023

Hospitals in the Autonomous Region of Madeira recorded a 17.2% increase in outpatient appointments conducted in hospital outpatient units

Provisional results from the Hospital Survey conducted in the Autonomous Region of Madeira (ARM) by the Regional Directorate of Statistics of Madeira (DREM) reveal that in 2023, as in 2022, there were 10 hospitals in the region: 3 public and 7 private, all located in the municipality of Funchal.

The average occupancy rate in 2023 (calculated as the arithmetic mean of the quarterly figures) was 2 066 beds, distributed between 983 in public hospitals and 1 083 in private hospitals, representing a 1.5% decrease compared to 2022 (32 fewer beds). The ratio of beds per 1 000 inhabitants also declined, dropping from 8.3 in 2022 to 8.1 in 2023.

At the end of 2023, hospitals in the region employed 5 087 healthcare professionals, including 584 doctors, 1 546 nurses, 272 diagnostic and therapeutic technicians, and 1 539 auxiliary workers. Compared to 2022, the number of doctors increased by 2.3%, and the number of nurses rose by 3.3%.

In 2023, there were 27.0 thousand hospitalisations, a 9.9% increase compared to the 24.5 thousand recorded in 2022, accounting for a total of 584.7 thousand inpatient days.

Additionally, 374.0 thousand appointments were conducted at hospital outpatient units, marking a 17.2% rise from the 319.1 thousand appointments registered in 2022. The specialities of Otorhinolaryngology and Gynaecology recorded the highest increases compared to 2022, with growth rates of 32.7% and 31.1%, respectively.

On average, approximately 50.5 surgeries per day were performed in the ARM hospitals in 2023 (excluding minor surgeries), with 34.2 of these occurring in public hospitals.

This global daily average reflects an increase of 4.7 surgeries per day compared to 2022 (45.8).

In the emergency services of the ARM hospitals, there were 158 300 attendances, a 0.7% increase compared to the 157 100 recorded in 2022. Approximately 75.8% of these attendances occurred in public hospitals.