The names of the two State Secretaries from the Ministry of Health, matching the number in the previous government, are listed among the 43 State Secretaries proposed by Prime Minister Luís Montenegro, which were approved today by the President of the Republic.
Francisco Gonçalves, holding degrees in economics and management, as well as a Ph.D. in management, has served in roles such as visiting assistant professor at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto, executive committee member at Hospital Beatriz Ângelo, health technology management director at Luz Saúde Group, board member at the Portuguese Institute of Oncology in Porto, and researcher at the Center for Research in Health Technologies and Services (CINTESIS).
The new Secretary of State for Health Management is replacing Cristina Vaz Tomé, who, in November 2024, had the Minister Ana Paula Martins take direct control of INEM after controversies regarding delayed emergency services due to the strike of pre-hospital emergency technicians.
At the time, the Health Minister justified the decision to directly oversee the National Institute of Medical Emergency (INEM) due to the “enormous priority” the institute represented, following social alarm highlighting the lack of human resources in pre-hospital responses.
In the same directive that redefined the competencies of the Secretaries of State, published in May 2024, Ana Paula Martins also removed the responsibility of the Inspectorate-General of Health Activities (IGAS) from Ana Povo.
Dr. Ana Povo holds a doctorate from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Porto and an MBA in health organization and systems, in addition to being a researcher, university lecturer, and member of Infarmed’s SiNATS – National System for Health Technology Assessment.
The President of the Republic today inaugurated the Prime Minister and the 16 ministers of the XXV Constitutional Government, the second PSD/CDS-PP executive led by Luís Montenegro.
The inauguration of the State Secretaries is scheduled for Friday at 12:00 PM at the Ajuda National Palace in Lisbon.
