The leader of the PS parliamentary group, Eurico Brilhante Dias, addressed journalists at the Assembly of the Republic, emphasizing that his party, Chega, and IL had called for an urgent parliamentary hearing of Ana Paula Martins amidst the ongoing health sector confusion in Portugal. This hearing was approved on July 2.
“A proposed date was set for next week, on the 24th. It was accepted and later postponed. PS, during today’s leaders’ conference, insisted on conducting the hearing by the end of the month. This was agreed upon by all political parties, until midway through the meeting, the PSD retracted its support, thereby disrupting the necessary consensus,” he stated, accusing PSD of preventing the parliament from scrutinizing the health minister.
The PS parliamentary leader remarked on the prevailing “confusion in Portugal’s health sector,” particularly concerning obstetric emergencies and the use of aerial resources, where “the minister says one thing and the Defense Minister says another.”
“As a result, the parliament is deprived of its ability to scrutinize the health minister. She is evading parliamentary scrutiny, which is seen as a disregard by PSD and AD towards the effort of opposition parties,” he accused.
Eurico Brilhante Dias noted that “this is not the first time such an incident has occurred,” highlighting that Economy Minister Castro Almeida will also not appear before parliament before the summer, even though his hearing had been approved.
“The Government is beginning to show a pattern of behavior: it has not respected the parliament concerning the foreigners’ law process, failing even to comply with mandatory consultation laws. Now, it is stifling the opposition’s ability to scrutinize by preventing the health minister from attending parliament,” he warned, suggesting that “the quality of parliamentary democracy is being questioned.”
When questioned about how the date of July 28 was determined, given that parliamentary sessions were supposed to conclude on the 25th, the PS parliamentary leader explained that it was possible to extend parliamentary sessions if consensus was reached, which had initially been achieved “even with the PSD present” during the leaders’ conference meeting.
“Consensus was obtained. AD backed out. The Government is trying to shield the health minister,” he accused.
In response to inquiries on whether he believes the PSD intends to prevent Ana Paula Martins from being heard in parliament before the summer, Brilhante Dias responded: “They are trying to avoid her attendance because, evidently, many events will transpire before September.”
“Parliament is requesting, in its role of government oversight, to urgently address what is genuinely urgent, which is the medical emergency. This will be obstructed by the Government, particularly by AD, which blocked this hearing,” he emphasized.
On July 2, the parliamentary Health Committee approved the hearing of Ana Paula Martins regarding INEM cases and excessive billing for additional work in the dermatology department of Hospital Santa Maria.
The urgent hearings for Ana Paula Martins had been requested by PS, Chega, and IL.
