On Thursday, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa proposed a broad political consensus on the roles of the National Health Service (SNS), the social sector, and the private sector in healthcare to establish a medium-term framework.
Questioned by journalists, Gouveia e Melo expressed agreement with the President’s stance.
“Governments come and go, and the problems persist. We need to find a medium or long-term solution, but unfortunately, we’ve experienced short governance cycles, which hinder the adoption of solutions,” he criticized.
The former Navy Chief of Staff noted that when a new government comes in, “it feels the need to reinvent the wheel, eventually destroying what was previously done by aiming to rebuild everything from scratch.”
“And then, not only does it not have time to rebuild, but it also undoes what was already functioning before. Indeed, the Portuguese have a healthcare system that does not meet their needs,” he lamented.
Gouveia e Melo emphasized the necessity of “a major reorganization to increase efficiency and effectiveness” in the health sector.
“Until we do so, we will continue to face failures that harm and concern the Portuguese,” he warned.
Addressing journalists, Admiral Gouveia e Melo downplayed a poll placing him third in the presidential race.
“Polls are what they are. Apparently, polls cater to all tastes and styles. In fact, out of four companies, three consistently show me about six points ahead of the second place, and there’s one that always shows me either very close or behind. So, this is part of it,” he said, before concluding:
“There’s only one true poll, which is on January 18, 2026,” the day of the presidential elections.
