Portugal has a population of 10 million with 377 doctors and 560 nurses per 100,000 inhabitants. Portuguese people go to an outpatients clinic four times a year, and each 1000 inhabitants has an average of 113.9 days of hospitalization.
Bowel cancer kills 11 persons per day in Portugal.
Since the late seventies Portugal has had an NHS that is rather effective but chronically accused by politicians to be a big spender of public resources.
Hospital organization does not impose specialty units so most Portuguese public hospitals are general surgery based and do not have autonomous colorectal units.
There are two scientific societies for colorectal disease:
- SPCP (Sociedade Portuguesa de Coloproctologia) that joins both surgeons and gastrenterologists , that has traditionally its national Congress in November
- SPC (Sociedade Portuguesa de Cirurgia) for surgeons only, that has a section (Capítulo) for colorectal surgery that has its national Congress in March.
Both societies have internet sites linked to ESCP and journals.
There is a National Cancer Register and, through SPC and its Capítulo, there have been efforts to organize a permanent audit of rectal cancer treatment - a twin of the Spanish Vikingo. We are being helped enthusiastically by our Spanish colleagues and very hopefully will it start soon.
Population: 10 000 000
ESCP Members: 23
Society: Sociedade Portuguesa de Coloproctologia http://www.spcoloprocto.org
ESCP Representative Name: Nuno Rama
National Examination: General Surgery
Journal: Revista Portuguesa de Coloproctologia http://www.spcoloprocto.org/index.php?n=revista-portuguesa-de-coloproctologia&cod=47