7/07/2025  |  Ministry of Health - Brazil

https://www.gov.br/saude/pt-br/assuntos/noticias/2025/julho/ministerio-da-saude-apresenta-ao-banco-do-brics-projeto-para-construcao-do-primeiro-hospital-inteligente-do-sus 

US$ 320 million in financing was approved by the External Financing Committee (Cofiex) and will now be reviewed by the bank. The facility will operate in São Paulo

The project to build the first smart hospital for the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS) was presented to the New Development Bank (NDB), the BRICS bank, on Monday (7). The protocol for US$ 320 million in financing, approved by the External Financing Commission (Cofiex), was delivered by Health Minister Alexandre Padilha to the bank's president, Dilma Rousseff. Now, the ministry awaits the financial institution's review.

“We presented the BRICS bank with a project for the development of a smart hospital that uses all the latest information technology and artificial intelligence, based on experiences that are happening in China. It is a big step for Brazil to enter this technological revolution,” said Health Minister Alexandre Padilha. 

The Technological Institute of Smart Medicine (ITMI-Brazil) will be located in São Paulo, in the Hospital das Clínicas complex of the USP Medical School. The initiative is a partnership between the Ministry of Health and the University of São Paulo (USP). ITMI-Brazil will integrate medical and technological advances from Brazil, China, and other BRICS member countries and the international community. The Ministry of Health has established a Working Group to conduct the processing and implementation of the project, in coordination with other ministries and partner institutions.

“The project under review by the NDB symbolizes the future of global public health, based on international cooperation, technology transfer, and the application of science and innovation for the benefit of populations,” said BRICS Bank President Dilma Rousseff.

For the leader, the project represents a strategic investment, anchored in solidarity among BRICS countries, which share similar challenges and promote the exchange of knowledge, technologies, and innovative solutions in health.

The architectural project calls for the construction of a new 150,000 m² building, adopting international standards of sustainability, safety, and innovation. The engineering and architectural designs will include advanced global practices in internal logistics, reduction of hospital infections, and preparedness for disasters and pandemics. The structure will be adapted to local climatic characteristics for energy optimization and will focus on a welcoming and humanized environment to ensure the well-being of patients and staff.

ITMI-Brazil is expected to be a center of excellence in digital health, combining technologies such as artificial intelligence, telehealth, 5G-connected ambulances, hospital automation, integration with electronic medical records, and predictive care management systems. The goal is to ensure high operational efficiency, intelligent bed regulation, and reduced length of stay, with decisive, agile, and safe care.

Inspired by international experiences visited by delegations from the Ministry of Health and USP in China, the hospital will adopt a collaborative management model with a focus on teaching, research, and innovation.

International collaboration is a pillar of the project, bringing together health professionals, researchers, and public managers from Brazil, China, and other NDB countries, promoting the exchange of knowledge in technology, management, sustainability, and health care with a focus on improving the quality of services provided to the population.

Network of smart ICUs

With a focus on expanding digital transformation in the SUS and improving specialized care, the Ministry of Health will invest, starting this year, in the structuring of a network of smart ICUs. The strategy consists of structuring, modernizing, and improving the Intensive Care Units in SUS hospitals in different locations in Brazil.

“We have US$320 million to invest and set up not only a hospital here in Brazil, but also to support, right from the start, 10 ICUs spread across the country. It means having a real policy of incorporating artificial intelligence and new information technologies—which are widely used in China—into the care of our patients,” emphasizes Health Minister Alexandre Padilha.

La iniciativa abarca la implementación de tecnologías avanzadas y medidas de medicina inteligente, con integración digital y soporte de telesalud. El proyecto comenzará en 10 unidades, con la expectativa de expandirse a más servicios en todo el país, además de fortalecer la atención en red y la relación del área de la salud con los sectores industrial y de desarrollo tecnológico.