Chega proposed on Tuesday to hear the commission of inquiry into the case of the twins of the President of the Republic, the former Minister of Health Marta Temido, the current Minister Ana Paulo Martins, as well as the parents of the children.
On Tuesday the party published a list of more than two dozen people it wants to hear from members of the parliamentary commission of inquiry into the case of twins treated with the drug Zolgensma.
Chega proposes to hear the President of the Republic Marcelo Rebelo de Souza and his son Nuno Rebelo de Souza, the head of the Civil Chamber of the President of the Republic Frutuoso de Melo, as well as the adviser to the head of state on social issues, Maria Joao Ruela.
According to the legal regime of parliamentary investigations, “the President of the Republic, as well as former Presidents of the Republic, by virtue of facts of which they have become aware in the performance of their functions and in connection with them, have the right, if they wish, to testify before the parliamentary commission of inquiry, and in this if they prefer, it is their prerogative to do so in writing.”
Regarding previous governments, Chega proposes to hear the former Minister of Health Marta Temido and the former Minister of Justice Catarina Sarmento y Castro, the former Secretary of State António Lacerda Sales, as well as his secretary and the chief of staff of the Prime Minister at the time. Francisco Andre.
Chega also demanded a summons to the commission of inquiry, proposed and imposed by this party, on the current Minister of Health, Ana Paula Martins, who was president of the board of directors of the Centro Hospitalar Universitário Lisboa Norte when the case became known.
A hearing was also requested of Daniel Ferro, who held the position between 2019 and 2021 while treating children, and Luis Pinheiro, who was clinical director of the Santa Maria Hospital.
The list of requests for hearing presented by Chega also includes the children’s parents, the president of Infarmed, the directors of pediatric and neuropediatric services at the Santa Maria Hospital in Lisbon, the neuropediatrician who accompanied the children, as well as TVI and CNN Portugal journalist Sandra Felgueiras, who publicized the case .
Chega also demands explanations on this case from the president of the Institute of Registration and Notaries (IRN), as well as from officials “involved in the processes of acquiring citizenship of twins.”
In terms of documents, Chega provides the clinical records of the two children, documents on the referral of the twins for external consultation at the Santa Maria Hospital, the internal audit of this department and the investigation launched by the Medical Association, the authorization process. on the exclusive use of the drug Zolgensma in Infarmed, the conclusion of the “National Commission on Pharmacy and Therapy regarding the use” of this drug in this case.
The party also wants access to all correspondence “regarding the request and provision of treatment” between the President of the Republic, his son Lacerda Sales, his secretary, the President of Infarmed, the former ministers of Health and Justice, the children’s parents, the Chief of Staff of the Prime Minister, the Chief of Staff of the President of the Republic and others, as well as “a copy of letters sent by the President of the Republic” to the government.
The Parliamentary Inquiry Committee will meet on Wednesday to discuss hearing and documentation requests submitted by the parties, appoint an alternate rapporteur, review and vote on draft regulations, review and vote on the schedule and establish a working methodology.
We are talking about the treatment in 2020 of two twins living in Brazil and who received Portuguese citizenship with the drug Zolgensma. The drug, which costs four million euros (two million euros per person), is designed to control the spread of spinal muscular atrophy, a neurodegenerative disease.
The case was published by TVI last November and is still being investigated by the Prosecutor General’s Office (PGR), with IGAS having already concluded that access to neuropediatric consultation for these children was unlawful.
Santa Maria Hospital’s internal audit also concluded that the state Department of Health’s first appointment at the hospital was the only exception to compliance in this case.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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