The Court of Auditors authorizes the Government of Madeira to open competitions in the field of health

The Court of Auditors has authorized the Government of Madeira (PSD/CDS-PP) in the Directorate to call for public tenders within the Program of Recovery and Resilience (PRR) for investments in the field of continuing care, announced the President Miguel Albuquerque resigned this Friday.

“A request was made to the Court of Accounts to find out whether the government, even in the field of management, can announce tenders and use, since the deadlines are very short, those funds that are intended for housing for the elderly and long-term care, and the good news is that the opinion was positive,” he said.

Miguel Albuquerque spoke at a ceremony marking the 100th anniversary of the Casa de Saúde de Deus in Funchal, the autonomous region’s reference institution for psychiatry, mental health, drug addiction treatment and psychosocial rehabilitation, run by the Order of the Hospitallers.

“One of the problems that arose when it became clear that the regional government was in control was the situation with the PRR funds, which have very large sums for housing for the elderly. [cerca 1.000 camas] and in permanent care, where we have planned investments in the first stage of 42 million euros,” he explained, emphasizing that the opinion of the Court of Auditors allows the process to move forward.

Madeira’s executive power, from the PSD/CDU-PP coalition with the parliamentary support of the PAN, fell after a process of investigation into suspicions of corruption in the autonomous region, in which the president, Social Democrat Miguel Albuquerque, was declared a defendant and tendered his resignation.

Miguel Albuquerque also reported that, with the exception of the competition for the creation of six home support groups that will provide assistance to 200 users, other competitions have already been launched in the field of continuous care, including mental health.

“The government, using its management skills, has the opportunity and potential to launch competitions. “I think this will be a unique opportunity to see Madeira again as an example of what a civilized society should do, which is support the elderly and support the sick in an effective and responsible way,” he said.

According to the Madeira boss, three notices were issued amounting to 37.6 million euros (ME), 5.1 (ME) and 1.1 (ME).

The first is intended for investments related to the creation, expansion or reconstruction of the infrastructure of new inpatient departments, in various types of complex continuous medical care of a general scale (convalescent, medium-term and rehabilitation, long-term and maintenance).

The second is aimed at creating new residential facilities, namely the type of continuous integrated mental health care, and the third concerns the creation of 12 new inpatient beds in the network of pediatric integrated care.