page_title: Caldas da Rainha
section_title: Health and safety
hierarchical_section_title: Caldas da Rainha / Health and safety
caption_attribution_description: English: Photo of the hot spring hospital in Caldas da Rainha, taken by me en:June 23 en:2007
context_page_description: Caldas da Rainha is a medium-sized city in western central Portugal in the historical province of Estremadura and the district of Leiria. The city serves as the seat of the larger municipality of the same name and of the Comunidade Intermunicipal do Oeste. At the 2011 census, the municipality had a population of 51,729 in an area of 255.69 square kilometres, with 30,343 residing in the city. Although the city itself lies about 10.5 kilometres inland, three of the municipality's civil parishes lie on the Atlantic Ocean. Caldas da Rainha is best known for its sulphurous hot springs and ceramic pottery.
  The settlement was founded in the 15th century by Queen Leonor, who established a hospital and a church at the site of some therapeutic hot springs. The Hospital Termal Rainha D. Leonor is the oldest purpose-built institution of its kind in the world, with five centuries of history. The city's name, often shortened to simply "Caldas", can be translated as "Queen's Hot Springs", "Queen's Spa", or "Queen's Baths".
  Caldas da Rainha is a UNESCO Creative City. It is home to many cultural institutions. The city's nine museums cover art, history, and cycling.
context_section_description: Caldas da Rainha is home to the Hospital Distrital Caldas da Rainha (Caldas da Rainha District Hospital), which is managed by the multi-city Centro Hospitalar do Oeste (CHO, Hospital Centre of the West). The hospital serves all general emergency needs of residents in all civil parishes of Bombarral, Caldas da Rainha, and Óbidos, plus parts of Alcobaça; paediatric emergencies for the aforementioned municipalities, plus Peniche; and obstetric and gynecological emergency needs for the aforementioned municipalities, plus Cadaval, Lourinhã, Mafra, and Torres Vedras. In 2012, the municipality had 326 inhabitants per physician.
  The Hospital Termal Rainha D. Leonor (Queen Leonor Spring Water Hospital, or Thermal Hospital), a medical spa offering physician-prescribed treatment in sulphurous waters, is managed by CHO. The hospital is the world's oldest purpose-built thermal medical institution. Among the non-medical holdings of the Centro Hospitlar–legacies of Queen Leonor–are the Museu do Hospital e das Caldas (Museum of the Hospital and Spa); the Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Pópulo and Igreja de São Sebastião, churches; Parque D. Carlos I, a public park; and Mata Rainha D. Leonor, woods adjacent to the park. In 1512, Queen Leonor established the Santa Casa da Misericórdia das Caldas da Rainha (Holy House of Mercy), a charitable institution dedicated to helping those in need. Having expanded to other cities, the Holy House continues its work to the present day.
  Caldas da Rainha is served by a health centre, Centro de Saúde Caldas da Rainha, which offers primary and non-urgent care. In addition to several units co-located with the main health centre, there are extensions located in the outlying civil parishes of A dos Francos, Alvorninha, Foz do Arelho, Landal, Santa Catarina, Tornada, and Vidais.
  The municipality has fifteen pharmacies. Seven are found in the city, and each of the following civil parishes has one: A dos Francos, Alvorninha, Foz do Arelho, Landal, Salir de Matos, Santa Catarina, Tornada, and Vidais.
  Fire protection is provided by the Bombeiros Voluntários de Caldas da Rainha (BVCR, Volunteer Firefighters of Caldas da Rainha). Police protection in the urban areas of the municipality is provided by the Polícia de Segurança Pública (PSP, Public Security Police). Rural areas of the municipality are patrolled by the Guarda Nacional Republicana (GNR, Republican National Guard). The GNR's base is located within the city proper.
caption: Hospital Termal Rainha D. Leonor (Queen Leonor Spring Water Hospital, or Thermal Hospital)
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