Immigration to Portugal by purchasing property and understanding living in Portugal and the cost of living: Nowadays, more and more Portuguese women prefer to give birth in private hospitals. Depending on the region and the length of the hospital stay, the cost of having a baby ranges from 1,000 to 6,000 euros.
This data was published by the magazine "Saúde Teste" in its February issue. To find out the cost of giving birth in private hospitals in Portugal, the magazine surveyed 21 private medical institutions.
The survey shows that the northern region of Portugal has lower charges for childbirth. The Hospital da Venerável Irmandade de N.a Sr.a da Lapa in Porto has very affordable rates, with a natural birth plus a two-day hospital stay costing only 1,000 euros in total.
The hospital with the lowest childbirth charges in Lisbon is the Hospital da Cruz Vermelha, where the same natural birth plus a two-day stay costs 1,900 euros. The most expensive hospital for childbirth is also in Lisbon; the Hospital dos Lusíadas charges as much as 4,500 euros for a natural birth plus hospitalization. Meanwhile, the CUF Hospital in Porto charges 2,850 euros for the same.
If a cesarean section is required, the fees skyrocket. In Lisbon, the cheapest option for a cesarean section is the Hospital da Cruz Vermelha at 2,900 euros, while the most expensive is the Hospital da Luz, reaching as high as 6,000 euros.
In Porto, the price for a cesarean section is also relatively high, but more reasonable than in Lisbon: the Hospital da Venerável Irmandade de N.a Sr.a da Lapa charges 2,000 euros for a cesarean section, while the CUF Hospital charges 4,000 euros.
In the southern region of the Algarve, the costs for childbirth are also high. At the Hospital Particular do Algarve in Portimão, the standard fee for a natural birth plus a two-day stay is 3,900 euros, while a cesarean section costs 5,500 euros.
The Portuguese Association for Consumer Protection emphasizes that the fees for cesarean sections in private hospitals in Portugal have risen sharply. Even so, the proportion of mothers choosing cesarean sections between 2004 and 2010 was as high as 36%, a figure much higher than the target value expected by the 2010 Portuguese National Health Plan.
Why do Portuguese women prefer to give birth in private hospitals? The main reasons are as follows: giving birth in a private hospital ensures that a professional obstetrician is present throughout the delivery process, private hospitals are more respectful of maternal privacy, and the pain of childbirth is also reduced.
Women who choose to give birth in public hospitals do so not only to save money but also due to concerns about the safety and quality of postpartum care services in private hospitals.
Expectant mothers not only have to carefully weigh the choice between public and private hospitals, but even after deciding on a private hospital, they also consider which one is the best. At this point, they must evaluate the configuration of medical equipment in each private hospital, the level of neonatal emergency care, and whether there are public hospitals of the same level nearby.
The Portuguese Association for Consumer Protection revealed that three of the surveyed private hospitals—the Hospital da Ordem da Trindade in Porto, the Hospital Privado de Guimarães, and the Clínica Médico-Cirurgica de Santa Tecla in Braga—did not inform the association whether they had a neonatal department.
