“The situation is very difficult, it gets more complicated over time, and the chances, the paths to get out of it are increasingly narrow, but they must be followed,” stated Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.
Speaking to journalists at the Book Festival at the Palácio de Belém in Lisbon, Rebelo de Sousa deferred his analysis of the issue until after the local elections on October 12, stating he is “gathering data” and “gaining perspective.”
The head of state indicated, however, that he believes the “major problems” in the health sector “are not many, they are few, but fundamental,” and “either these major problems are resolved, or the rest will follow.”
When asked about a report on a baby born in an ambulance, the President of the Republic remarked, “When I see these news and others, I say that, if those major problems are unresolved, these incidents can occur quite frequently.”
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa argued that the situation in the sector “requires very difficult foundational decisions,” and when questioned if there is a lack of political courage, he responded, “It is not a matter of political courage, it is a problem of the difficulty of the situation.”
During this occasion, the head of state did not reference Health Minister Ana Paula Martins.
Faced with criticism for not addressing the sector’s situation earlier, he justified his choice: “I am gathering data, on one hand. And, on the other hand, gaining perspective, to see whether what I think, my point of view, is justified or not. In another week or two, I will have more reasons to believe I have justification.”
