Helplines and other useful conatcts

Other phone lines and useful contacts

  • Poison Information Centre Helpline: 800 250 250
  • Domestic Violence Victims Information Service Line: 800 202 148
  • Emotional support and suicide prevention Helpline: 213 544 545 / 912 802 669 / 963 524 660 (daily from 3:30 pm to 12:30 am)
  • AIDS Support: 800 201 040
  • Sexuality Support: 800 222 003
  • Drug Abuse Support: 1414
  • Stop Smoking: 808 208 888
  • Office of the Public Defender: 808 200 084
  • Public Health Helpline: 808 211 311
  • Cancer Helpline: 808 255 255
  • Lung Helpline: 808 259 259
  • Portuguese League Against Cancer (National Headquarters): 217 221 810
  • Medicine Helpline: 800 222 444
  • Helpline for Rare Diseases: 300 505 700

Caregiver associations

ASSOCIATIONS RECOGNIZED BY THE DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF HEALTH (DGS)

Associations that are part of the National Health Council or the Caregiver Training and Literacy Group

For more information, see the list of patient organisations recognised by the DGS.

Note: Recognition process by DGS

Law nº 44/2005, of 29 August, "Law of the Associations of defence of the Users of Health Care Services", comes to establish the rights of participation and intervention of the associations of defence of the users with the central, regional and local administration.

These associations have legal personality and are non-profit. Their main objective is to contribute to the greater involvement and participation of users, not only in the definition and operationalization of national strategies, plans, and programs but also in the defence of their interests and rights. In this last approach, associations may pursue interests of a generic and specific nature, where the restricted and specific scope of action of certain areas or pathologies in the health sector is stated here.

Administrative Decree no. 535/2009, of 18 May  regulates Law no. 44/2005 and defines the process of recognition of scope and representativeness, registration and forms of support to health users' associations.

The recognition process is the initiative of the association, which must, under the terms of the Administrative Decree No. 535/2009 of 18 May, send the documents necessary for the instruction of the registration process, to the Directorate General of Health (DGS), which is responsible for this competence.

In case of doubt, you may contact the Directorate General of Health at associacoesutentes@dgs.pt.

RELATED PUBLIC AND PRIVATE ENTITIES