On 28 October 2026, Valongo inaugurated the renovated premises of the USF São João de Sobrado, a family health unit in Sobrado, following extension and refurbishment works promoted by the municipality. The works cost 470 thousand euros, fully financed by the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR). A new wing with four more clinical rooms increases the unit’s capacity to serve the population of Sobrado.
What changes
The refurbishment aimed to improve the physical condition of the building and to enlarge the area used for health care. The new wing adds four rooms for clinical appointments. The ceremony ended with a visit to the renovated facilities.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Investment | 470 thousand euros |
| Funding | Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR), in full |
| New clinical rooms | 4 |
Why the municipality invested
Mayor Paulo Esteves Ferreira said that quality primary care close to home means residents do not have to leave their parish to get the medical care they need. The project is part of the municipal investment plan to modernise health facilities across the borough. The plan aims to improve working conditions for staff and the quality of care for patients. Speaking for the Executive Directorate of the national health service (SNS), Ana Correia de Oliveira highlighted the role of local authorities in integrating care. The mayor has framed access in similar terms before: when Valongo hosted the final meeting of the EU GreenMove project, he said mobility should be understood as access to employment, education, health, culture and opportunities.
Twenty years of the unit
The ceremony also marked the 20th anniversary of the creation of the USF São João de Sobrado. Maria João Baptista, chair of the board of ULS São João, pointed to the unit’s importance for the widespread introduction of family health units in Portugal. She also stressed the growing complementarity between health institutions and local authorities, both in the condition of facilities and in new community health projects. Unit coordinator Andreia Marques spoke of a return to a space that is part of the community and praised the new conditions of the premises.