The Algarve Biomedical Centre (ABC) stated that the creation of this new service centre is the result of a partnership established with the telecommunications operator Altice, which owns the operation of the SNS24 Line.

According to the same entity, the future call centre in the Alentejo city, with "150 nurses" and which should be in service "in early January", intends to "strengthen the capacity" of this telephone line.

The president of ABC, Nuno Marques, indicated that the two entities decided to proceed with the creation of the new SNS24 service centre so that "this line maintains the quality of service it has always had".

"It is when we have an increase in the number of cases [of covid-19] that the line is even more essential, because it is always the first contact with the National Health Service (SNS)", stressed the official.

Nuno Marques pointed out that the SNS24 Line, in addition to providing “answer to people with Covid-19 or contacts with positive cases” of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes the disease, also serves “other situations”.

The president of ABC highlighted that this call centre, located in facilities that Altice already has in the city of Beja, will start operating in the first or second week of January of next year.