Latest news and stories about health minister in Portugal for expats and residents.
The government says Ana Paula Martins did not cancel a parliamentary hearing. Vieira da Silva accuses the minister of having made up excuses to miss 'practically all the hearings' during the last legislature.
Ana Paula Martins recognises that 'this year there is, in fact, an excess of mortality', but stresses that Portugal is not an isolated case and that the same trend is being observed in other European countries.
The Health Minister insists resignation is out of the question. Ana Paula Martins says stepping down would be disrespectful to health professionals and stresses that, contrary to how journalists portray it, the SNS (National Health Service) is actually responding better.
The Health Minister today denied that there is chaos in the National Health Service (SNS), rejected that problems are being downplayed and reaffirmed that she will not step down from her post.
The opposition confined itself to a clamour for the Health Minister's resignation. The Government realised that, in the realm of the unreasonable, the best option was to carry on in the same vein. The debate was everything it shouldn't have been.
The Prime Minister criticised the 'disproportion' between the work carried out in the National Health Service (SNS) and the 'news wave' that creates a 'perception of chaos'. He said waiting times in emergency departments are the best they have been in five years.
As the official campaign moves from its first into its second week, the candidate supported by the AD makes a direct appeal to the Health Minister.
Ana Paula Martins added that she will “naturally” step down “when the Prime Minister so decides”.
The Socialist Party (PS) has already asked the Prime Minister for explanations about this case. The Socialists accuse Luís Montengro of reappointing a minister who is unaccountable. Almost without exception, the other parties say it is time for Minister Ana Paula Martins to step down or for the reorganisation of health services to begin.
