Former advisor to the Minister of Health was appointed to lead the workers’ protest group

Recommended by his colleagues as the possible deputy of the protest movement that was being created by the working doctors, Pedro Melo Lopes worked until recently in the office of the Minister of Health.

One of the names mentioned for the leadership of the movement of working doctors who contest the new rules proposed by Ana Paula Martins, is that of Pedro Melo Lopesformer advisor to the Minister of Health herself. The doctor, who was part of the ministerial cabinet until a few months ago, monitored the implementation of the Emergency and Health Transformation Plan for a year.

Former PSD deputy, Pedro Melo Lopes currently works as an undifferentiated doctor in the Basic Emergency Service of Águeda and provides services on a fee basis. With growing discontent among service providers regarding the changes announced by the Government, the doctor was nominated by his colleagues to assume the vice-presidency of a then inorganic movement that was preparing a strike against work in emergency rooms.

His name gained prominence shortly after information about the protest was “leaked” to the media. Two weeks later, the informal movement officially became the Association of Doctors Service Providersestablished on Tuesday. With the formalization of the structure and the temporary suspension of the threat of absenteeism on the part of the approximately one thousand members, Melo Lopes went from being a potential vice-president to “just a member of the group, as he was a task worker”, he explains to .

The doctor refused to comment on his involvement in the organization, although he confirms that he was approached to join the board. According to industry sources, Melo Lopes remains close to Ana Paula Martins and believes that the minister “will resolve this calmly”.

The governor, for her part, hardened and relaxed positions almost simultaneously. Days before, he maintained the rejection of dialogue with inorganic movements. However, on Wednesday, one day after the association’s formal birth, it announced that it will receive representatives from service providers “as soon as possible”. The minister guarantees that she is open to dialogue, but emphasizes that she will not give in to “pressure from the media or any group”.