“I believe the minister currently embodies insensitivity and the inability to respond, and therefore, she lacks the ability to construct the needed responses,” stated Catarina Martins, speaking to the Portuguese press in Brussels, the capital of Belgium. Her comments were made on the sidelines of a luncheon with members of the Portuguese community in the country, as part of the presidential election campaign.
The former coordinator of BE argued that Minister Ana Paula Martins is unfit to remain in office, emphasizing that the issue is not solely the case of the pregnant woman who died at the Amadora-Sintra hospital last week, but rather a buildup of “too many tragic cases” that are causing a significant sense of insecurity, injustice, and pain.
“The case is very tragic and will surely have those responsible. What is unacceptable is for a Minister of Health to provide incorrect information [in parliament] about the case, to appeal to xenophobic sentiments to downplay the tragedy. That is not acceptable, and it is why she cannot continue in office, or for that reason as well,” she criticized.
When asked if xenophobia is involved, Catarina Martins replied that the minister’s statements “are at the very least very unfortunate and seem to go in that direction.”
The MEP further advocated that the National Health Service “has been healthier” and that “strong, universal, free public health responses are essential.”
“When one is malfunctioning like ours, we must have the courage to reinvent and the courage for new formulas that truly ensure access to health for the population without neglecting what works well,” she maintained.
Catarina Martins expressed her ambition to win the votes “of those who believe Portugal should be a solidary community with empathy, one that will not improve by turning a blind eye to its problems.”
“We must have the courage to reinvent to solve problems, and reinvention is the opposite of hate, the opposite of societal fracture, but also the opposite of saying everything must remain as it is. Because in Portugal, people realize their salaries are too small for the grocery bill that’s too high,” she lamented.
The presidential elections are scheduled for January 18.
