António Cotrim / Lusa
The Minister of Health, Ana Paula Martins
Ana Paula Martins has already expressed to the Prime Minister her desire to leave the Government. Montenegro wants the minister to ensure the completion of some essential dossiers before replacing her.
Among the various resignation requests of the Minister of Health who were heard following the speech at the Amadora-Sintra hospital, one has now gained special importance: that of the Ana Paula Martinswho wants to leave the Government.
According to the newspaper, a few weeks ago the Minister announced the Luis Montenegroand even to some leaders in the Health sector, who intends to leave office.
The prime minister, however, considers it essential that the Minister ensures the completion of some essential dossiers before dismissing Ana Aula Martins — or accepting her resignation.
According to Expresso, Ana Paula Martins will at least have to complete the Emergency Medical Reform and published diplomas related to restrictions on medical work providing services and emergency services centralized on the south bank of the Tagus. He adds that the minister must remain in the Government until the presentation of the Basic Health Lawscheduled for December.
Government sources cited by the Observer say that the Minister is fragile, very tired and “fed up with vested interests“but she is a strong woman and with “deep knowledge of a very difficult sector”, in which Montenegro maintains confidence.
However, according to a union leader interviewed by Expresso, the minister was adamanthaving said that “the destiny was set” and that would “be replaced”. Ana Paula Martins “knows he’s going to leave, but the timing belongs to the prime minister“.
The two newspapers thus point to the end of the year or beginning of the next as the likely time of the minister’s departure — which, Expresso notes, will occur in a similar way to that of the former minister Marta Temidowhich by António Costa, after successive hospital cases, but left a new SNS organization ready.
The imminent dismissal of Ana Paula Martins will probably happen when Luís Montenegro understands that he can do without his , as André Ventura recently called him.
