Henrique Gouveia e Melo spoke to journalists after meeting with young representatives of academic federations and student associations at Parque Eduardo VII in Lisbon.
When questioned about the controversy surrounding a case where a patient allegedly took five hours to be transported from Covilhã Hospital to Coimbra, the former Chief of the Navy Staff did not comment specifically on the incident but defended the role of the Air Force in medical emergencies.
“I know the Air Force well, I’ve worked with them, and they do the best they can with the resources provided by the State. If there’s a doubt whether the Air Force should assist, that doubt is resolved in the Constitution,” he stated.
According to the admiral, the Armed Forces, as per the Fundamental Law, “have a duty to assist civil society in its various challenges – and the Air Force does this very well.”
In his response, he went further, highlighting his great respect for his “comrades in the Air Force, who perform true miracles.”
“They perform true miracles, not in military operations, but in operations for the civilian population,” he specified.
When asked about a crisis at the National Institute of Medical Emergency (INEM), the admiral avoided the topic and reacted: “I am not yet President of the Republic, so I think I should not comment on this now.”
“Of course, we all want better healthcare. If the Armed Forces have a contribution to make towards a good response, then they should not remain idle with that potential,” he asserted.
In front of the journalists, Henrique Gouveia e Melo pointed out that other entities have roles in medical emergencies. He then offered a critique: “Sometimes, – what is curious in Portuguese society -, it seems like the entities want exclusivity.”
“But why do they want exclusivity? We should all, with our potentials and with the resources the State distributes to us, give the maximum response possible, if we have that capacity,” he insisted.
Confronted with the fact that the helicopter used by the Air Force to transport the patient from Covilhã to Coimbra might not have been the most suitable, the former Chief of the Navy Staff retorted with a question: “Was there another available?”
“If there wasn’t another and the equipment was used and saved people, what criticism are we trying to make here? It doesn’t make sense. What makes sense is to use everything available at any moment, especially in urgency,” he concluded.
Questioned about candidate Marques Mendes’ idea of appointing at least one young person to the Council of State if he wins the 2026 presidential elections, Henrique Gouveia e Melo dismissed his opponent’s idea.
“I have been here meeting with federation and academic association representatives representing half a million young people, and I share the view that young people should be heard, just like other sectors of society. But they should be truly heard. It’s not about pretending to listen to them demagogically,” he declared.
Then, although without stating if he agrees or disagrees with Marques Mendes’ idea, he expressed doubts about whether encouraging young people’s participation in political life can originate from the Council of State.
“What is truly discussed in the Council of State in definitive organizational and concrete terms on the ground? Have you seen major discussions at the Council of State that resulted in concrete and objective policies in the past?”, he questioned.
In this context, he sought to distance himself from other presidential candidates.
“Due to my military past, I prize efficiency. Efficiency means doing the best possible with a given resource. I do not prize demagoguery,” he added.
