PCP accuses the government of wanting to degrade social networks and redirect resources to private groups

This Wednesday, the PCP accused the PSD/CDS-PP government of wanting to degrade the SNS and divert resources to private groups with an emergency plan that does not strengthen the response capacity of public services and does not value careers.

This position was taken in the Assembly of the Republic by the parliamentary leader of the PCP, Paula Santos, after the Council of Ministers approved this Wednesday the Emergency and Health Transformation Plan, which was presented by Prime Minister Luis Montenegro and Health Minister Ana Paula Martins.

“The measures recently announced by the Government are fit for purpose, and the purpose is to continue to degrade the National Health Service (NHS), to continue to be on the verge of losing the SNS’s responsiveness, in order to divert financial resources to private groups. who interfere in the health sector,” Paula Santos told reporters.

The parliamentary leader of the PKP noted that “in these measures there is not a single assessment of medical workers, in their careers, in wages, in ensuring working conditions,” and also “there is no increase in investment in infrastructure, equipment, which are so important to ensure an increase in capacity NHS.”

“As far as primary health care is concerned, we can say that the government is opening the door wide for private groups and the private sector by announcing the promotion of the USF Model C with fellowship partners,” he opined.

It is necessary to “invest in working conditions, invest in careers, invest in salaries” of SNA professionals, he countered.

“We are faced with a plan that in practice means funding private groups from public resources, which are a safety net for economic groups profiting from the disease. And therefore, these are not the solutions that are needed to actually strengthen social networks, to create health workers and to ensure that users receive the health care that they are entitled to,” he stressed.

According to the PCP, “the recruitment of 100 psychologists as announced falls far short of what is needed.”

Regarding the special regime for the recruitment of doctors at SNS, announced this Wednesday, Paula Santos said that there were competitions in which “most of the vacancies were left empty.”

“It’s not about overtime, it’s not about green checks, it’s not about service delivery, it’s not about incentives, it’s about valuing your career, that’s what keeps professionals,” he said.

According to the Prime Minister, the government intends to first exhaust the resources of social networks to the limit, relying on the social and private sectors in a complementary manner.

According to a government statement, the plan presented this Wednesday includes, as urgent measures, “a special regime for the reception of doctors in the SNS with more than 2,200 vacancies, of which about 900 for new family doctors”, “the elimination of the waiting list for surgery for cancer patients” and “creation of a surgical program for non-cancer patients.”

Other measures include “priority in emergency situations to the most serious cases and referral of less urgent cases to clinical care centres”, “monitoring and referral of pregnant women through the SOS Grávida line” and “a system of financial incentives to increase capacity”. delivering births and strengthening agreements (that already exist) with the social and private sectors.”

The plan also calls for the near-term “revision of the agreed price list for additional diagnostic tools, in particular obstetric ultrasound”, “hiring of more than 100 psychologists for medical centers”, “creation of a mental health program for the Security Forces” and “vacation of occupied beds in hospitals, mainly on social affairs”.