“I find it very difficult to understand the stance of the President of the Republic, who in the past, for less, called for ministers’ resignations precisely to affirm that such things cannot happen without political responsibility, without change. And now we all see how Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa prefers to talk about regime pacts without holding the Government accountable for what is happening,” stated Catarina Martins.
“Investment in the National Health Service is needed, and it’s vital that the National Health Service has dedicated teams. As long as we think everything can be solved with cuts and service providers, we will only get worse,” added the former BE coordinator during a visit to the Centro Social S. Francisco Xavier of Cáritas in Setúbal, which supports the needy and many homeless individuals.
The President of the Republic mentioned on Thursday, at the closing of a conference on the 50th anniversary of the Medical Service in the Periphery (SMP) at the University Institute of Lisbon (ISCTE), that there is a prevailing “casualness” in health management, with “short-term solutions” and “gray lines” between the responsibilities of the Government and the Executive Directorate of the SNS.
The head of state indicated that the current scenario in the SNS is “a dispersion of decisions, a weariness of decisions, short-term solutions, and then it remains undefined what exactly is the long-term goal.”
During the visit to Cáritas in Setúbal, Catarina Martins also criticized the alleged directive from the executive director of the SNS to hospital administrators to cut certain expenses.
“The Executive Directorate of the National Health Service held a meeting with hospital administrators where they were told they would have to cut back, even if it compromised their service provision, meaning the response they provide to the populations. This is unacceptable, absolutely unacceptable, and the President of the Republic should be affirming this,” she said.
“Health is a cornerstone of our country, and we need to know the SNS is there when we need it most. What is happening is unacceptable, and the President of the Republic should prioritize ensuring everyone has access to health care,” stressed the presidential candidate, who also referred to the death of a pregnant woman occurring this morning as an example of inadequate emergency responses in the SNS.
Regarding the electoral campaign for the presidential elections set for January 18, 2026, Catarina Martins remarked that “some are deliberately offending democracy, degrading the country, and preventing discussions on the general population’s issues.”
“I came here to Cáritas in Setúbal because I know they do extraordinary work with the homeless in a country where 20% of the population lives in poverty, and the housing crisis is one of the country’s most severe. I hope that in the presidential elections we can talk about the country’s issues. I will do everything for that,” concluded Catarina Martins.
