The announcement was made by António Lacerda Sales in the Health Committee in response to PCP deputy João Dias on the possibility of extending public centres for PMA that currently exist in Porto, Coimbra and Lisbon.

In the hearing, by videoconference, requested by the PCP on the delays in access to PMA treatments and the measures to recover them, the minister said that "the opening of a new centre in the Algarve region is being considered, which may contribute to improve access in this region and in the outskirts".

"I've already spoken to the Chairman of the Board of Directors [of the Algarve University Hospital Centre] about this matter", he said, adding that the team has already been set up".

"We'd like to see if we can get this team working by the end of the year," he said.