The PCP wants concrete answers from the Government on the construction of the new Hospital Central do Algarve and the new Hospital de Lagos. The communists say that the documents provided on the State Budget do not clarify whether there will be investment and they complain that, at the hearing of the Minister of Health, held as part of the specialty debate, the government official "did not clarify this issue", while the secretary State and Health Department «has taken refuge in generalities».
According to the PCP, «the documents sent to the Assembly of the Republic, in support of the debate on the State Budget for 2019, namely the Report of the Ministry of Finance and the Explanatory Note of the Ministry of Health, do not clarify whether funds are included in the State Budget. for the start of the construction processes of these two hospitals in the Algarve».
The parliamentary group tried to obtain clarification in the debate on the specialty, but «the minister of Health did not clarify this issue, while the Deputy Secretary of State and Health stated, according to the communists, that «there are problems in the National Health Service of the Algarve and that the Ministry of Health will work to overcome them”.
As for the construction of the Hospital Central do Algarve and the new Hospital in Lagos “nothing was said in concrete”.
For the PCP, "as the construction of these two hospitals is fundamental for improving the provision of health care in the Algarve region", it is not acceptable that, "on this issue, the Government avoids an answer".
The communists also recall that “the Government promised an investment of 19 million euros in the 2017-2019 triennium for the acquisition and renovation of equipment in the three hospitals of the University Hospital Center of the Algarve”, but “in 2017, the investment made was about half of what was promised'.
The PCP confronted the former Minister of Health with this issue "a few months ago", and the government official acknowledged "the breach of the promise, apologized to the Algarve and assumed the commitment to fully carry out the investment planned for the 2017-2019 triennium, or ie €19 million'.
Now, at this hearing, the PCP "questioned the Minister of Health on this matter, asking her if she maintained the Government's commitment to make this investment of 19 million euros by the end of 2019 and what amount is included in the State Budget for that end'.
However, according to the communists, "also on this matter, the Minister of Health shied away from a concrete answer."
To try to get the answers that he has not yet been able to get from the minister, deputy Paulo Sá, elected by the Algarve, sent, this Wednesday, a request to the government official, in which he asks again if «in the State Budget for 2019 they are registered funds for the construction of the Hospital Central do Algarve and the new Hospital de Lagos».
If so, the PCP wants to know "what is the amount registered and what works are planned in 2019". If not, he wants to know the justification for these funds not being registered, bearing in mind that «the construction of these two hospitals is fundamental for the improvement of the provision of healthcare in the Algarve region».
The communists also questioned the minister about maintaining the Government's commitment "to make an investment of at least 19 million euros in the 2017-2019 triennium for the acquisition and renovation of equipment in the three hospitals of the University Hospital Center of the Algarve" and want to know “what amount is entered in the State Budget for this purpose”.
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