The executive director of the SNS, Antonio Gandra d’Almeida
The executive director of the National Health Service, António Gandra D’Almeida, today asked for his immediate resignation. Possible incompatibility in the accumulation of functions that led to the dismissal — which the Minister has already accepted.
“Although I understand that I did not commit any illegality or irregularity, to defend the SUS and, with no less importance, to protect my family and the future that we want to be one of dignity, I asked, today, Your Excellency, the Minister of Health, to immediately release me from exercising my duties current functions”, said a note signed by the executive director.
SIC reported today that, for more than two years, the executive director of the SNS accumulated the functions of director of INEM do Nortebased in Porto, with duties as a doctor in the emergency rooms of Faro and Portimão.
According to the television channel, the law says that it is this incompatible accumulationbut António Gandra D’Almeida managed to get INEM to give him authorization with the guarantee that he would not receive a salary.
However, through a company he created with his wife and of which he was manager, he received “more than 200 thousand euros for these shifts”, said SIC.
In the note sent to the media, Gandra D´Almeida considered that the report affects your professional performance in the years preceding his duties as executive director of the SUS – 2021, 2022 and 2023 – and which contains “harmful inaccuracies and falsehoods” your name.
“It contains inaccuracies and falsehoods that harm my good name and therefore the first condition for it to be able to servewith complete freedom the SUS, its professionals and its users, and honor the invitation made to me by the Government”, highlights Antonio Gandra D´Almeida.
On May 22, 2024, the Ministry of Health announced that it had chosen military doctor António Gandra D´Almeida as executive director of the National Health Service (SNS) and, the following month, the Council of Ministers approved his appointment to the charge.
The Minister of Health, Ana Paula Martins, has already accepted the resignation request presented by Antonio Gandra D’Almeida.
“Given the circumstances and the importance of preserving the SUSthe Minister of Health accepted the resignation. The new Executive Director of the SNS will be announced in the next few days”, can be read in a note sent by the ministry.
Ana Paula Martins also thanked “competent work performed” by the executive director and “the effort that the entire team under his direction has made to serve the Portuguese in these difficult times”, hoping “that the situation will be clarified as soon as possible”.
Gandra D´Almeida, specialist in general surgery, He was director of the Northern delegation of the National Institute of Medical Emergency (INEM) from November 2021 and, in the Armed Forces, he held leadership and coordination roles.
The military doctor was chosen by the Government of Luís Montenegro following the resignation presented by Fernando Araújo at the end of April 2024, after leading the Executive Directorate of the SNS for around 15 months, claiming that he did not want to be an obstacle to the Government in the policies and measures it considered necessary to implement.
In November, the General Inspection of Health Activities opened an investigation into the National Health Service to which António Gandra d´Almeida was subjected.
The anonymous complaint alleges that the director had benefited from preferential treatment for plastic surgery, carried out at the Gaia hospital in October, circumventing the SNS waiting list management rules and getting ahead of other patients in the same situation.
