In the biweekly debate with the prime minister at the Assembly of the Republic, André Ventura challenged Luís Montenegro regarding the situation on Thursday at the Amadora-Sintra Hospital emergency room, where urgent patients experienced waiting times exceeding 18 hours.
The prime minister responded by stating that it was “a peak increase in a specific waiting time,” which could happen again.
“It happened yesterday and it will happen today and next week. If you, dear deputy, wish to use this particular case, you will always have an example to present,” said Luís Montenegro.
He then emphasized that “from January to October 2025, the National Health Service recorded an overall reduction of 37% in the number of days emergency services were closed” and noted a “16% decrease in waiting times” from January to August.
“Does this mean there haven’t been peaks? That there weren’t any problematic days? There were! There were constraints. There are constraints,” he admitted, asserting that it is “not possible” to solve this issue “overnight or even from one year to the next.”
In response, the president of Chega argued that “this is no joke” and insisted that the prime minister “cannot come here and say it will happen tomorrow and then after.”
“So, if it happens, it is due to your incompetence,” he accused.
