Medical Hydrology and Balneology: Environmental Aspects

The State of the art, Health Resort Medicine in
Portugal
Teixeira F (1-2)
(1) Emerit Professor of Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
(2) Head of Hidrology and Climatology Institute of Coimbra University, Coimbra, Portugal
fredjt@ci.uc.pt
Except for the existence of a Thermal Hospital (Caldas da Rainha), created in
Portugal in 1498, the traditional spa organization is the existence of a thermalmedical-bathouse
(named “balneário”), often surrounded by a park. And, even
though this park or nearby can be one or more hotels included in the same spa
complex (ie, the same owner), only one thermal-bathhouse was included in a hotel.
Around the bathhouse (named “balneário”) and their park (when it exists), develops
a "spa village" (officially called "estância termal”), with all the support
structures: hotels and guest houses, private residences, restaurants and cafes, leisure
facilities. The concept of "health resort" is therefore understood in the social group
of spa village/”estância termal”, mentioned above, rather than a narrow concept of
an individualized "health resort".
However, there are spas where it remained, renewed or created their own space
surrounding the resort with leisure park and sporting activities, with hotel, wellness
center (these, designated in Portugal by SPA, even if not in the concept of "medical
SPA", but only of recreational activities, aesthetics, etc..) - space and set of structures
and activities that have been designated as" Health (or Thermal) Resort. "
Keeping, however, this model, the thermal spas in Portugal have undergone profound
transformations over the past 20 years: Of the 34 spas in operation in 2011,
17 resorts are totally new; in 12, the spas were substantially restored or increased in
size. They all now have one of the most modern technical equipment there.
The most recent legislation on the operation of the spa is included in the Decree-
Law No. 142/2004. Three points must be highlight in this legislation: 1 - All spas
operate under the medical responsibility of a clinical director, recognized as an
hydrologist by the Medical College; 2 - No one is allowed to a thermal treatment
without a previous medical appointment and monitoring; 3 - Hydrological research
is fostered for the recognition of the vocations of each therapeutic spa, being created
for it a "Technical Evaluation Committee."
For a population of just over 10 million inhabitants, the total number of
"termalistas" who annually attend the Portuguese spas is close to 100 000 (ie 1% of
total population).
Balnea
2012, núm. 6, 60
60
ISBN: 978-84-669-1887-0
978-84-669-3482-4