At a conference under the Portugal com Rumo series, themed Accelerate Portugal – Artificial Intelligence, Collective Intelligence, and Youth, hosted by the National Association of Young Entrepreneurs (ANJE), a retired admiral voiced critiques on how healthcare issues are being addressed.
“The healthcare issue extends beyond the minister’s role. It’s a persistent issue that needs resolution. Portuguese citizens are worried, healthcare professionals are not satisfied, and the system increasingly demands more resources,” stated the candidate, citing a “clear organizational problem.”
He continued, “Whether the Health Minister stays or leaves, following the death of a pregnant woman last Friday at the Amadora-Sintra Hospital, is the responsibility of the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister is co-responsible, as head of government, for how healthcare has or has not lived up to the hopes of the Portuguese people.”
Addressing the sector’s crisis, Gouveia e Melo emphasized that the “population is not happy,” suggesting the need to determine the desired model for Portuguese healthcare.
“Do we want a more privatized model, a state model, or a mixed model… I believe the National Health Service is essential. It ensures all Portuguese have access to healthcare, regardless of their financial capacity. It’s one of the most important elements for national cohesion. In fact, healthcare hasn’t been responding to the challenges currently faced,” he stated.
This has led to “some social alarm, some dissatisfaction, and it’s not just the users, it’s the healthcare professionals themselves, the organization” despite ongoing “resource injections into the system.”
“Something is failing,” he noted, emphasizing that the “executive power has the duty to govern the country and deliver results. It’s not about demagoguery; it’s about delivering results.”
When asked whether the approximately 200 million euros less in health investment for 2026 represents a cut or resource optimization, as the Prime Minister claimed, Gouveia e Melo responded, “When something isn’t working or isn’t working as expected, I’m unsure how much optimization can be done.”
“The current issue is making that machine work. It’s a highly horizontal structure. This government came with promises to quickly resolve the problem, and apparently, it’s not succeeding in fulfilling those promises,” the presidential candidate reminded.
In this context, the former military leader argued that transparency demands an obligation to clearly explain the situation to the Portuguese people.
“What we observe is a series of resignations or dismissals within the National Health System. This doesn’t seem very positive or indicative of positive outcomes. Therefore, I believe the government, in its analyses, should draw the necessary conclusions; otherwise, it will face the consequences of its own public assessment,” he added.
Gouveia e Melo thus considers that confidence in the government “is shaken.”
