PS deputy secretary general João Torres accused the PSD on Saturday night of having a “problem of conscience” regarding the National Health Service (SNS) and wanting to privatize and dismantle it.
“The only goal of the PSD with regard to the National Health Service is its privatization and its dismantling. We do not accept this vision, we reject this vision of public health in Portugal,” he said at the PS/Trofa Christmas dinner in Porto district .
During a speech of about half an hour, and in front of a packed room, the socialist pointed out that the PS, unlike the PSD, believes in an SNS that is mostly free and “that takes care of everyone, regardless of their economic situation”.
João Torres noted that the PS was and is “absolutely decisive” in strengthening the SNS and assumed that it was “absolutely astonishing” to hear PSD President Luís Montenegro say that the PS is a party that has a friend of the private party. healthcare sector.
“Let’s be very clear about this. Firstly, the PS has never had ideological dogmas with regard to the SNS. We have never had any prejudice against social or private initiative in the field of health,” he stressed.
The PS “was very clear” in stating and reiterating that for the party the SNS is a service that should be public and usually free, he added.
João Torres believed that the opposition leader’s problem with the SNS is above all a “problem of conscience”.
“Because the PSD has an original sin, and it’s important not to let that go unnoticed, in relation to the SNS. It is that the PSD did not vote for the creation of the SNS and that is why it is important to tell the Portuguese and everyone we know that if they want to strengthen the SNS, it is like the PS that counted, counts and will continue to count he persisted.
In addition, the deputy secretary-general of the PS stressed that it is important not to forget the “brutal divestment” that the PSD and justice made in the SNS when they last ran the country.
Speaking of “malnourished criticism” of the PSD, João Torres recalled the contribution made by the SNS to Portugal at a “particularly demanding” moment, such as the pandemic, when so many distrusted its capacity and the capacity of its professionals.
“And we realized that our SNS, that our healthcare workers were absolutely ready and unbeatable for us to overcome this difficult moment in our current history,” he assured.
The socialist understood that Luís Montenegro tries “here and there” to downplay the PS with “business and business”.
However, he warned that the PS “will not shrink, it is alive, strong, present”.
Source: DN
