At the Magellan Community Centre gala, which gathered more than two thousand people at the new premises of the Liuna Local 183 union in Vaughan, north of Toronto, José Luís Carneiro stated that the recent protests supporting the National Health Service (SNS) “are justified and legitimate”.
“Reforming the National Health Service is only possible if we strengthen primary care, value public health, improve home and community care, and ensure that some medical specialties are offered in primary care itself,” said José Luís Carneiro in a statement to Lusa.
“We need to bring solutions closer to the population,” he continued, emphasizing that bolstering health centers is essential to alleviate hospital pressure.
The socialist leader also stressed the necessity to “improve coordination between primary care and hospital care,” highlighting that such coordination is crucial to avoid the “chokehold on emergency hospital responses.”
“The situation, especially in the Setúbal Peninsula and Greater Lisbon, is in utter chaos,” he stated, pointing to specific challenges in the obstetrics, gynecology, and pediatrics departments.
“Pregnant women have the right to predictable, safe, and timely responses, and this is not currently happening,” he stressed.
Carneiro also criticized the lack of clarifications from Luís Montenegro’s administration: “I again ask the Government where the proposal we made in July for coordinated management of hospital emergencies is. The Prime Minister has a duty to respond to the PS and explain to the country why this proposal has not been evaluated or acted upon.”
Regarding the recent demonstrations organized by user committees and trade union structures, the secretary-general said they “are justified, legitimate, and reflect a genuine concern of the public.”
“They reinforce what we have been telling the Government: it is necessary to act, and act urgently,” he added.
When asked about the importance of health in the socialist political agenda, Carneiro stated that “health is the first political priority of the PS and should be the first priority for any government.”
“Health, housing, improving incomes and salaries, decent work, transport, and mobility are essential priorities, but health ranks among the top priorities of a responsible governance program,” he added.
José Luís Carneiro’s visit to Canada, accompanied by Paulo Pisco, the secretary-general’s aide for Portuguese Communities, will continue until Sunday and includes meetings with association leaders, social institutions, PS members, consular representatives, and the Portuguese-Canadian community, with stops in Toronto and Montreal.
