This Wednesday, 28 November, the proposal to amend the State Budget for 2019, presented by the PSD, and whose practical effect was the construction of the Hospital Central do Algarve, was rejected in the specialty. PS, PCP and BE voted against, but Luís Graça, socialist deputy, says that in 2019 the region will have “more investment in health”.
The proposal presented by the Social Democrats, who abstained from CDS, Greens and PAN, established that the «Government would comply with the list of priorities for new hospitals established by order, in 2006, after a technical study ordered by the Government at the time», explains the PSD, in a statement.
"Fulfillment of that order led to the launch of procedures and open tenders, with the respective processes having been suspended after 2009 due to the financial crisis", they also say.
In the order in question, the Algarve figured in second priority. Of the first four priorities, three – Lisbon, Évora and Seixal – are registered for the 2019 State Budget, as in previous years.
For the PSD, “the Government's decision is not understood”. According to data presented by the Social Democrats, «the Algarve has registered the largest population growth in the country, the largest drop in health indicators, as well as a 2017% increase in complaints from users in 103».
Luís Graça, PS deputy elected by the circle of Faro, traces another reality. «The Regional Health Administration of the Algarve will have another eight million euros in 2019 compared to 2018 and the University Hospital Center of the Algarve will have, by virtue of this proposal to change the Parliamentary Group of the PS, which corrects an error in map seven, also more financial capacity in 2019”, he said in the debate on the specialty.
The parliamentarian also criticized the PSD for, in the "ordinary litany", saying that the State Budget for 2019 does not include any investment for the Algarve, something that is "false" for the socialist.
During the third day of discussion of the OE in the specialty, the parliamentarian lamented that the Social Democrats criticize "in the Algarve, but do not materialize in Lisbon". "We are waiting for the proposals to change the PSD deputies elected by the Algarve and, be amazed, nothing".
Luís Graça also considered that the accusation by the PSD that the budget for the Directorate of Culture of the Algarve will be smaller in 2019 is false. "The culture budget will be higher in the country and also in the Algarve," he said.
Thus, the Algarve will have «another 2,8%, to which must be added another 1,5 million euros from the 365 Algarve programme, which puts in value the investment in culture in the Algarve beyond 2018 and in line with the regions center and Alentejo», he explained.
This increase had also been defended by Ângela Carvalho Ferreira, Secretary of State for Culture, in an interview with Sul Informação.
In relation to social institutions «they will not be out of access to community funds», defends Luís Graça, in an allusion to the situation denounced to our newspaper by José Carlos Barros, deputy of the PSD.
Within days, according to the PS, a notice will be opened for private social solidarity institutions under the Algarve Operational Programme.
For the parliamentarian, it is important to remember that «the application of community funds, the choice of priority areas, was negotiated by the current president of the PSD Algarve as chairman of the Algarve Regional Coordination and Development Committee».
«If the Algarve IPSS have a reduced budget in the PO Algarve, it was your choice», concluded Luís Graça, addressing the PSD bench.
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