Medical Center in Brazil: Types of Health Services for a Doctor’s Consultation

Choosing the right Medical Center in Brazil can be confusing for visitors and expats, especially when language barriers, urgency, system complexity, and local bureaucracy come into play.

The information below is based on the real-life experience of Brazilian health professionals, combined with insights gathered from international visitors and expats who have navigated the Brazilian healthcare system from an insider’s perspective.

Brazil offers a wide range of healthcare services, but understanding how and where to seek medical care makes all the difference when you need a doctor’s consultation.

1. Medical Center Structure in Brazil: Public and Private Healthcare Side by Side

Brazil has a mixed healthcare system, with a strong public sector coexisting with a large and well-developed private network of hospitals, clinics, and Medical Centers

While this diversity creates many options, one important reality applies to both public and private Medical Centers:
 English is rarely spoken fluently by administrative staff and often not by doctors.

Even when an English-speaking professional is available, communication is usually limited to basic interactions, which can be insufficient for:

• Medication discussions
• Complex symptoms
• Chronic conditions
• Risk assessment and follow-up planning

This limitation alone can significantly impact the quality and safety of a medical consultation for foreigners.

2. Public Medical Centers: SUS and Emergency Care in the Public Sector

The Brazilian public healthcare system is called SUS – Sistema Único de Saúde.

It is state-funded, universal, and free of charge, covering everything from primary care Medical Centers to large public hospitals.

What to expect from public Medical Centers:

• No direct cost for consultations or hospital care
• Coverage of primary care and emergency services
• Extremely high demand, especially in major cities

For urgent situations, public hospitals provide A&E (Emergency Department) services, mainly for:

• Accidents
• Trauma
• Severe clinical conditions requiring immediate intervention

However, these Hospitals or Medical Centers are often:

• Overcrowded
• Associated with long waiting times
• Highly stressful environments
• Frequently operating at full capacity for hospital admissions

For visitors and expats, navigating a public Medical Center without Portuguese can be particularly challenging.

3. Walk in Clinics, Private Medical Centers and A&E: Fast Access, High Costs

In the private sector, many hospitals operate their own Medical Center A&E services, allowing walk-in consultations without prior booking.

While this may seem convenient, there are important considerations:

• Costs can be very high, even for simple consultations
• Dificult to choose the most suitable Hospital due to differences in medical specialities and pricing targets (from Class A to D).
• Many hospitals require an initial financial deposit
• Hospitals carry legal responsibility once a patient is admitted so that is why they require a deposit even for a consultation

Because of this legal responsibility, private Medical Centers can be:

• Overly cautious when accepting patients
• Reluctant to provide “simple consultations” without extensive evaluation
• Selective about cases they agree to manage

For international visitors, unexpected costs and administrative complexity are common surprises.

4. Medical appointment on Private Doctors’ Offices: Specialized Medical Centers Outside Hospitals

Another option within the private sector is consulting doctors in private Medical Centers or offices, usually located in commercial buildings rather than hospitals.

Key characteristics:

• Appointment required, often days in advance
• Usually open Monday to Friday, business hours only
• Doctor Appointment bookings handled by secretaries who rarely speak English

Additionally, Brazilian private Medical Centers are known for hyper-specialisation.

It is common to find doctors who are not only specialists (e.g., orthopaedics) but focused exclusively on:

• Knee
• Shoulder
• Hand
• Spine

While this can be attractive, it requires:

• Precise identification of the correct specialist
• Availability matching your schedule and urgency
• Consideration of language skills
• Alignment with location and price

Many Medical Centers also use online booking systems that require a Brazilian document called CPF, which visitors and short-term expats usually do not have—making access even more difficult.

5. Telemedicine Medical Centers and the Role of My Brazilian Doctor

Telemedicine is a growing Medical Center alternative in Brazil.

Digital prescriptions were officially implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic, making remote consultations legally possible.

However:

• Most Brazilian telemedicine platforms require CPF registration
• Many doctors do not accept English-speaking patients or do not indicate the languages they speak
• Clinical responsibility without physical examination still makes many doctors uncomfortable prescribing

Medicine in Brazil is a highly regulated field, and without direct physical examination, many professionals are cautious about assuming legal responsibility—even with local patients.

My Brazilian Doctor fills this gap

My Brazilian Doctor was created specifically to assist international visitors and expats who struggle to find appropriate care within conventional Medical Centers.

With:

• Over 20 years of clinical experience
• Professional background in Brazil and abroad
• Fluent medical communication in English
• Full compliance with Brazilian telemedicine regulations

Our service bridges the gap that traditional Medical Centers often cannot address—providing safe, effective, and accessible medical care tailored to international patients in Brazil.

Looking for medical care in Brazil without language barriers or bureaucracy?

My Brazilian Doctor offers a Medical Center experience designed for you.