Addis Ababa, July 1, 2026 (FMC) — Brazil has launched its first artificial intelligence-powered smart intensive care unit within its public healthcare system (SUS), as reported by TV BRICS, citing its Brazilian partner news agency Agência Brasil.
The first smart intensive care unit has been inaugurated at the Clementino Fraga Filho University Hospital in Rio de Janeiro, marking a major step in the country’s digital transformation of public healthcare.
The unit integrates artificial intelligence and advanced digital systems to continuously monitor patients, cross-check data from multiple medical devices, and alert medical staff to early signs of deterioration, while automatically recording all critical information in electronic health records.
The system is also connected to ambulances through a 5G network, enabling the transmission of patients’ vital signs before arrival at hospital, improving emergency coordination and response times.
Brazil’s Health Minister Alexandre Padilha said the technology is expected to reduce ICU stay durations and ease pressure on hospital waiting lists.
The government plans to scale up the model by establishing 14 smart ICUs nationwide, with a total of 280 beds, supported by around US$34.6 million in funding.
In addition, Brazil is investing approximately US$923 million in broader healthcare innovation, including a translational research centre, upgrades to major hospitals, and the construction of the country’s first fully smart hospital — the Technological Institute of Intelligent Medicine at the University of São Paulo — expected to open in 2027 with 800 beds and capacity for about 20,000 patients annually.
Nearly 36 percent of the funding comes from the BRICS New Development Bank.
The Federal University of Rio de Janeiro hospital has also introduced a new linear accelerator for radiotherapy, doubling daily cancer treatment capacity from 20 to 40 patients.
Authorities say the initiative marks a significant step in modernizing Brazil’s public healthcare system through artificial intelligence and digital infrastructure.