In a report issued by the Shared Services of the Ministry of Health (SPMS), more than 13,000 Portuguese registered their ‘Vital Will’ in 2022, doubling the number of records from the previous year, with 1,300 Madeirans taking advantage of the service.
The life testament is a voluntary document where citizens can express their medical decisions about what can and cannot be done should they become unable to express their decisions.
The National Register of Vital Testaments (RENTEV) was created in 2014, and is managed by the SPMS and allows individuals to express their health care decisions. Since its inception, more than 53,000 Portuguese citizens have registered their vital wills.
Data released by the SPMS indicate that, as of Monday, the number of active vital wills exceeded 34,500 (more than 12,000 for men and more than 22,500 for women). The age groups with the highest number of active records are those aged between 50 and 80.
All you need to make a vital will is your National Health Service Utente number. Then all you need to do is fill out the form and either submit it by email or personally at any of the RENTEV counters across the national territory.
All vital wills are valid for five years from the date of signature and can be changed and renewed. These can also be accessed through the personal area of the RENTEV portal or via the SNS 24 application.
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
