Inaugurated on September 9, 1973, as the Funchal District Hospital, the Madeiran health unit is now known as Hospital Dr. Nélio Mendonça. The opening ceremony was attended by the then President of the Republic, Admiral Américo de Deus Rodrigues Thomaz, and was considered a milestone in regional and national public health.
Over more than five decades, the hospital, which has gone through various names such as Hospital da Cruz de Carvalho and "Hospital Novo" (New Hospital), has become a place of countless life stories, from births, like that of footballer Cristiano Ronaldo, to emergency care and hospitalizations. The institution continues to be an essential pillar in the health of the Autonomous Region of Madeira.
In 2009, the hospital was officially renamed in honor of Nélio Ferraz de Mendonça, founder of the Regional Health Service. Currently, it operates in coordination with Hospital dos Marmeleiros, as part of the Funchal Central Hospital, and remains an affective and institutional reference for the people of Madeira.
