The president of the Almada City Council called the process of replacing the administration of the Almada Seixal Local Health Unit unacceptable this Wednesday. She also labeled the procedure as undignified.
Inês de Medeiros expressed solidarity with the current president of the board of directors. She said in a statement to a news agency:
I was completely surprised. We consider the way this was announced to be unacceptable.
Changes in ULSAS Administration
On Tuesday, September 3rd, the executive board of the National Health Service dismissed the Board of Directors of the Almada-Seixal Local Health Unit (ULSAS). This unit includes the Garcia de Orta hospital, which was chaired by Maria Teresa Luciano.
Jorge Seguro Sanches a former socialist leader will replace Teresa Luciano. Sanches previously served as Deputy Secretary of State and National Defense from 2019 to 2022 and Secretary of State for Energy from 2015 to 2018, under the government of António Costa.
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Furthermore, according to the Assembly of the Republic website, Jorge Seguro Sanches has a degree in Law. He also holds a postgraduate degree in International Relations and Energy Law.
Medeiros Criticizes Government Strategy
Inês de Medeiros considers that without questioning the quality of whoever replaces Teresa Luciano, the procedure does not show respect for the work done. She also argues that this is not the way to deal with municipalities. Therefore she criticized the fact that the mayors and the the hospital teams were not heard. Medeiros said:
It is not about party affiliation or non-affiliation, but about recognizing work that was being done and was interrupted.
The socialist mayor highlighted that ULSAS was undergoing a reorganization process. She believes that this change, regardless of the quality of the new administration, will create enormous disruption in a process that was going well.
Concerns About Disruption and Planning
Medeiros further criticized the strategy of the Government, saying that what she has observed are plans to dismiss and replace teams. She also pointed out a lack of planning, destabilization, and very few practical and concrete responses that solve people’s problems.
She stressed:
There is an arrogance in the way these matters are being decided that I cannot help but criticize very vehemently because this is not how solid foundations are established for good work and good coordination between everyone.
Impact on Garcia de Orta Hospital
The president of the Almada City Council said that any changes at this time would delay what was being done at Garcia de Orta. This situation is not just any hospital. He said that.
It is the only large hospital in the south of the country. Therefore, any change at Garcia de Orta has a huge impact.
The Almada-Seixal Local Health Unit (ULSAS) is part of the Garcia de Orta Hospital and the Almada-Seixal Health Center Group, in the district of Setúbal. Furthermore, the Board of Directors is chaired by pharmacist Maria Teresa Luciano.
In August 2022, Teresa Luciana took on the role of president of the Board of Directors at Hospital Garcia de Orta. She has continued in this role since the establishment of the ULS in January 2024.
Current ULSAS Management Team
The ULSAS management team includes Henrique Manuel Neves Santos as Clinical Director for the Hospital area. Moreover, Pedro Jorge Alves Pacheco is the Clinical Director for Primary Health Care.
They also have Susana Luísa Rafael Almeida Graúdo as Head Nurse and Tiago António de Fonseca Mendes as Executive Member for the financial area.
