“What is happening in healthcare is an organizational problem that has been affecting the health sector for some time, it’s not a new issue. The problem is that to solve an organizational issue involving various actors in the healthcare system, courage is required, structural reforms are needed, and a clear direction must be established,” said the candidate.
Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of a visit to a footwear factory, the retired admiral initially avoided revisiting the topic of healthcare and the continuity of Minister Ana Paula Martins, summarizing his opinion with the phrase: “The country has been lacking a clear direction for a long time.”
“We are governing for news broadcasts, for the pressures they bring, and not for the medium and long term, which is what truly transforms the country,” he said.
When asked if he sees the healthcare sector as directionless, Gouveia e Melo cited issues with strategy and model.
“Do we want a public NHS [National Health Service] capable of providing security to the Portuguese, especially the underprivileged, or do we want to pave the way for a more global privatization of the Portuguese healthcare system, moving towards an American-style model with consequences for the underprivileged population? Since no one talks about this, there is no defined direction, and without a defined direction, there are necessarily no coherent policies,” he stated.
When questioned about which model he supports, Gouveia e Melo pointed to his candidacy: “I am running for the Presidency of the Republic, not an executive government, and that problem is of governance,” he said.
For the admiral, “the President’s role is to interpret the will of all the people and demand good governance,” that is, “demand that this path be pursued towards a goal that serves the population,” he emphasized.
Citing unidentified sources close to the Government, it is reported that Health Minister Ana Paula Martins is expected to remain in the Government until the presentation of the basic health law, scheduled for December.
The report indicates that government sources claim Ana Paula Martins is “vulnerable” and “very tired,” but on the other hand, she is a “strong woman” with “deep knowledge of a very difficult sector.”
Asked about this report, Gouveia e Melo remarked that “the public, at this moment, no longer understands why the NHS has had these successive failures,” something that “necessarily weakens the entire Government, not just the health minister.”
“It weakens the entire Government, and the Prime Minister will make the political judgment he deems appropriate concerning public opinion on the Government’s stance and performance. There is something that seems fundamental to me. Today, all governments are highly scrutinized, and there was, and still is, a tendency to escape forward through demagogic measures and announcements. More and more, the population wants to know, in reality, what they can count on day-to-day, not with demagogic announcements or escapes forward,” he concluded.
PFT // SF
Lusa/End
