Unprecedented national survey shows the 100 best public hospitals in Brazil. Although there is still a greater number in the state of São Paulo, where 30 of the top 100 are concentrated, 19 of them appear in the survey with a similar distribution.
The study was carried out by the Brazilian Institute of Social Health Organizations (Ibross) in partnership with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), Instituto Ética Saúde (IES), National Council of Health Secretaries (Conass) and National Council of Municipal Health Secretariats (Conasems). The survey is a qualifying phase of the Best Public Hospitals in Brazil Award, a joint initiative of the five entities. The award ceremony will take place in May this year.
For sanitary doctor Renilson Rehem, former president of the Brazilian Institute of Social Health Organizations (Ibross) and coordinator of the work, highlighting hospitals and talking about the best public hospitals is a way of supporting the public system and, therefore, contributing to the development of the SUS.
“The most important thing is not so much the ranking, but the highlighting of the best hospitals. By doing this, we are giving a positive agenda to public hospitals that normally live more with negative agendas, considering the difficulties they face”, he told Agência Brasil.
The research evaluated hospital accreditation – a voluntary process of evaluation and certification of health services – occupancy and mortality rates, availability of intensive care beds and average length of stay of hospitalized patients as main criteria.
After São Paulo, with 30% of the best Brazilian public hospitals, Goiás stands out with 10% of the total. Next come Pará (7%), Santa Catarina (7%), Pernambuco (6%), Rio de Janeiro (6%), Paraná (5%), Amazonas (3%), Bahia (3%), Distrito Federal (3%), Maranhão (3%), Minas Gerais (3%), Ceará (2%), Distrito Federal (2%), Espírito Santo (2%), Mato Grosso do Sul (2%), Rio Grande do Sul (2%), Tocantins (2%), Piauí (1%), Rio Grande do Norte and Sergipe (1%).
Disparity
The disparity in relation to São Paulo occurs, according to the filmmakers, because the state has more public hospitals that serve entirely through the Unified Health System (SUS), whether in proportional terms or in absolute numbers. In the state, 17 of the 30 highlighted institutions are state-owned, with the rest being municipal.
The list of units indicated considered hospital services from federal, state or municipal governments, with 100% assistance from the SUS, therefore without any type of care provided by a health operator, or that would qualify either as general hospitals, both adults and pediatrics, or as specialized hospitals in the areas of orthopedics, oncology, cardiology and maternity.
Between August 2024 and July 2025, all public hospitals had more than 50 beds and production registered in the Hospital Information System (SIH) of the Ministry of Health. Psychiatric and long-stay hospitals were not included in the study.
