On Sunday morning, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva participated in the inauguration of the newly established 24-hour Emergency Center at Cardoso Fontes Federal Hospital in Jacarepaguá, located in the Southwest Zone of Rio de Janeiro. This inauguration is part of a larger restructuring process following the decentralization of management to the municipality, which began in December 2024. The federal government has invested R$ 100 million to modernize the facility's infrastructure and expand service capacity under the Unified Health System (SUS).

The improvements at the hospital include the re-opening of 40 beds, the reactivation of a pediatric Intensive Care Unit (ICU) with 10 beds, and an increase in both the number of operating rooms and staff—a 57% increase in the workforce. The new Emergency Center will feature eight consultation rooms, six risk assessment rooms, and an expanded range of diagnostic tests available, including ultrasound, electrocardiograms, and laboratory analyses.

In just one year, the hospital has experienced significant improvements in its operational metrics, reporting a 70% increase in surgeries, a 75.1% rise in hospital admissions, and a staggering 90.8% increase in emergency care. The enhancements to the healthcare facility exemplify the government's commitment to improving public health services amid a critical period for the nation's healthcare system.