“The issue is not resolved by the resignation of the minister. Identifying the individual who should be the Minister of Health at any given time is a responsibility the Prime Minister must assume. He can replace the current minister with another person, and everything may remain the same, so merely replacing a member of the government will not solve this problem,” stated António Filipe during a visit to Bragança.
The presidential candidate advocated for a “policy of investment” and criticized the government for having said it would solve the healthcare sector problem in 60 days, noting, “Many 60 days have already passed, and the problem not only remains unresolved but has been worsening.”
António Filipe expressed his disagreement with the current President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, who believes a national pact for health should be established.
“We have heard about pacts for many years, pacts for justice, pacts for health, when what we need is a policy defending the National Health Service (SNS), and that is only possible if there is career attractiveness for professionals,” António Filipe pointed out.
The candidate, supported by the PCP, argued that career enhancement is also necessary to prevent healthcare professionals from preferring to work in the private sector.
António Filipe further emphasized that “it is a right for populations to have an SNS that ensures access to healthcare regardless of their financial situation.”
