The President of Chega on Tuesday considered the resignation of the Minister of Health as a “symbol of failure” of the absolute socialist majority, and said that the next incumbent president should push for “deep reform of the national health service.”
“In a way, this resignation is a symbol of the failure and catastrophe of this absolute majority,” said Andre Ventura, criticizing “the stubbornness of the Prime Minister in maintaining, against all odds, the Minister of Health, in maintaining the line that was determined, even knowing that the services do not answer that there is no human mass to answer, and that the Portuguese are more and more dissatisfied.”
The Chega leader reacted at a press conference at the party’s national headquarters in Lisbon to the resignation of Health Minister Marta Temido, which was announced this morning.
“It was an absolutely preventable situation, if not for the permanent, consistent degradation, which drew the attention of Chega, health care, health care and the political position of the minister himself,” he stressed, recalling the vote of no confidence in the government, which the party presented in parliament and which it failed , as it was the only bench that voted in favour.
As for a successor in office, Ventura argued that “he must have a background in health care, be able to listen to medical professionals, and not be in constant guerrilla warfare with professional orders or unions.”
For the president of the far-right party, the next minister of health must also “be able to cast off the ideological blindness and shackles that keep health services from coming together, opening up to cooperatives, to individuals, to others.” this almost ridiculous obsession with an exclusive public service,” which means “services permanently closed, people without medical services.”
“The next Minister of Health or the next Minister of Health should be able to carry out this deep reform of the SNA, this deep reform of our health system without ideological blindness, set deadlines, oblige centers and hospitals to be open, guarantee the terms of employment both in Portugal and abroad of doctors and specialists who would not embarrass the Portuguese health service,” he said.
Regarding the deadline to replace Marta Temido, Andre Ventura stated that “it can’t take too long” and that the country “can’t wait for the state budget to wait for it.”
The decision should not be made through Assistant Secretary of State and Health Antonio Lacerda Sales, Ventura said, because that official “should also provide his seat” as he is “respectively responsible for cases that have occurred in the field of health.”
The Chega leader believed that there were two more ministers who had “no conditions” to remain in government and should be removed, Fernando Medina (Finance) and Pedro Nuno Santos (Infrastructure and Housing), making this reconstruction possible. .
And he asked the prime minister to show “courage” to “make these changes”, suggesting that António Costa, “whoever is responsible for the health crisis”, could “extremely” take over the healthcare portfolio.
To journalists, Andre Ventura also criticized that the dismissal was reported at dawn “to make sure the case was more under wraps.”
The resignation of Health Minister Martha Temido, announced at dawn Tuesday, represents the first “weight loss” in the XXIII constitutional government that took office exactly five months ago, on March 30.
Martha Temido submitted her resignation because she felt that she “no longer had the conditions” to hold the position.
The resignation, already accepted by the prime minister, was announced at dawn, but on Tuesday morning, an official source from António Costa’s office told Lusa that the replacement of the health minister “won’t be quick”, adding that the head of government would like the official to complete the process of determining the new SNS executive leadership.
Marta Temido assumed her duties as Minister of Health in October 2018, succeeding Adalberto Campos Fernandez, and has served as minister under the last three leaders, led by socialist António Costa.
In a note released on Tuesday, Republican President Marcelo Rebelo de Souza suggested that he was awaiting a request for the dismissal of the health minister and an offer to appoint a replacement.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
