the ministry of health is responsible for public health services, government hospitals and general medical services, thus the majority of hospitals and clinics in rio de janeiro are government funded - these institutions offer all medical services for free, and because of that they are highly sought-after, and waiting times can therefore be very long.

Private healthcare is not very common in Rio de Janeiro, which leads to more available assistance in a timely manner - that being said, without propper insurance, medical costs can rapidly amount to thousands of dollars even for very simple procedures, explaining the reason why most cariocas either have health insurance or rely on public healthcare.

due to decades of international trade and commerce experience with foreigners, as well as  an ever increasing number of healthcare professionals with experience abroad, some hospitals in the city have departments with english speaking staff, most of them are located in the zona sul.

there are several large hospitals and private clinics fitted out with the most modern machinery and medical equipment - however, finding english speaking general practitioners, dentists, and opticians can still be difficult - and should be planned for in advance.