This Friday, the President of the Republic confirmed that he had not spoken to any organization that could influence the treatment of the Portuguese-Brazilian twins in Portugal, and expressed his readiness to go to court “if someone appears” who says otherwise.
At the end of a memorable ceremony on December 1 and a visit to an exhibition at the Palacio Independencia in Lisbon, journalists asked Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa about the incident involving the twin sisters of Portugal and Brazil, who came to Portugal to be treated with one of the most expensive drugs in the world.
The head of state began by declaring that “he said what he should have said on November 4,” that he would await the investigation and would not comment on the matter.
The President of the Republic also emphasized that at that time “he said something very clear” and mentioned “all the subjects” with whom he did not speak on this matter: “Neither the Prime Minister, nor the Minister, nor the Secretary of State, nor the President of the hospital, nor the administration of the hospital , nor any responsibility of the director of hospital services.”
“Naturally, as with everything in life, if someone comes forward and says that I contacted them or that I exerted some kind of pressure, obligation or request, then I will be the first to go to court to clarify it,” he emphasized, already entering the car, without making any further statements.
On November 4, the President of the Republic denied that he had petitioned the Santa Maria Hospital or any other organization so that two Portuguese-Brazilian children could receive treatment in the National Health Service.
“Yesterday I [quinta-feira] He said he didn’t do it. Not. I didn’t talk to the Prime Minister, I didn’t talk to the Minister [da Saúde]“I have not spoken to the secretary of state, the CEO, the president of the hospital, the board of directors, or the doctors,” Marcelo Rebelo de Souza told reporters.
We are talking about a TVI report aired at the beginning of November, according to which two Portuguese-Brazilian children came to Portugal in 2019 to receive the drug Zolgensma – one of the most expensive in the world – for spinal muscular atrophy, which amounted to only four million euros .
According to TVI, there were suspicions that this happened under the influence of the President of the Republic, who denied any interference in the matter.
In a statement to TVI, the President of the Republic confirmed that two letters had been sent: one to the Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff and the other to the Office of the Secretary of State for Portuguese Communities.
In a new report published on Thursday evening, TVI said a letter sent to the Prime Minister’s Office said treatment with the drug was the “only hope of a cure” for children.
The case is being investigated by the General Inspectorate of Health and the Ministry of Justice.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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