“The facility that we are going to build here in Loulé [Faro district], which is the CDOA, will be completed, in terms of installations, in 12 to 16 months,” Tiago Botelho, the president of the Local Health Unit, told Lusa news agency.

The head of the Algarve Local Health Unit (ULS) added that this facility “is part of a broader set of investments in the region in the area of ​​oncology” representing an investment of around 17 million euros.

The goal is for the CDOA (Cancer Diagnosis and Oncology Center) to solve the problem for approximately 800 Algarve patients who need to travel annually to Seville, Spain, to undergo a series of oncological examinations.

The new building will house diagnostic equipment for positron emission tomography (PET) scans, magnetic resonance imaging, and a Medically Assisted Reproduction Center with pre-implantation genetic diagnosis.

Tiago Botelho's statements were made on the sidelines of the signing of the Collaboration Agreement between the municipality of Loulé and the Algarve Local Health Unit (ULS Algarve), which provides for the municipality's support in implementing several projects in the health sector.

“This protocol is fundamental because it represents a guarantee for the coming years to continue investing in areas that are essential,” said the president of ULS Algarve.

Regarding the CDOA, the Loulé City Council will be responsible for providing the land for the building's construction and for supporting the national counterpart of its construction, totalling €1.9 million. The protocol also provides for support in the construction of the new Mãe Soberana Health Unit, which also includes “a physiotherapy academy and other spaces necessary for other medical or technical health specialties”.

The agreement also includes the expansion of the Quarteira Health Center, the completion of the Loulé Basic Emergency Service, the Convalescence Unit and the Imaging and Analytical Diagnostic Unit, as well as the construction of the Loulé Hemodialysis Center.

“This protocol is very important because it foresees the location and construction of several facilities within the scope of specialized healthcare provision,” said the Mayor of Loulé, Vítor Aleixo.