“I will not stop doing what we have to do. Therefore, neither the executive director nor the presidents of the Boards of Directors of all the country’s ULS are waiting for IGAS [Inspectorate-General for Health Activities] to take the necessary measures,” stated Ana Paula Martins at the Health Committee.
The official was responding to criticisms from PS deputy Mariana Vieira da Silva, who stated that parliament is waiting “for answers on a set of issues, not to await the IGAS inspection.”
“I respect many inspections, but there are many things beyond inspections (…) and, therefore, we need answers to understand the political and management options that can be taken,” said the socialist deputy, emphasizing that, at this moment, additional production is frozen at Hospital Santa Maria, “while they await to understand what happened, which translates to longer waiting times for those waiting.”
Ana Paula Martins highlighted the importance of inspections when there is a “suspicion of infraction,” as in this case, and stressed that, “before people are blamed for infractions, they have the right to defend themselves.”
She also highlighted that the Ministry of Health, through IGAS, “is quite swift,” noting that there are other bodies, also part of democracy, “that take much longer to respond.”
“IGAS even does it in record time,” she said, clarifying that she is not defending the Inspectorate, which has autonomy, “but it has done a good job.”
She assured that she will not blame “person A or B, doctor A or B, until these infractions are proven.”
In the hearing requested by the Liberal Initiative and Chega regarding the additional production of the Dermatology Service at the Santa Maria Local Health Unit, the minister stated that the IGAS report “is due soon.”
“When that report happens, obviously conclusions are drawn,” she said, adding in response to Mariana Vieira da Silva: “I already know you want solutions; that is exactly what we are doing: (…) finding solutions to the problems.”
“And no, it is not by removing people that we will find these solutions,” she emphasized in response to the socialist deputy, who accused the Minister of Health of “when something happens, blaming someone and then, sometimes removing that person, other times just complaining about them and in the end lamenting.”
“Faced with a fact, the minister presents a new measure that she says will solve all problems, which then either never materializes or does not give the expected results, and the minister laments,” criticized.
In response, Ana Paula Martins said she has faced many criticisms of her governance and has always resisted them.
