An official complaint was filed on Saturday, the 24th of January, with the Attorney General’s Office and the Central Department of Investigation and Criminal Action (DCIAP), requesting the urgent intervention of the Public Prosecutor’s Office to prevent the sale of the Dr. Nélio Mendonça Hospital.
The complaint, based on the constitutional right of Popular Action, arises in response to the recent announcement by the Regional Government to sell the property to repay public debt to the Republic. The participants consider that this decision is harmful to the public interest and violates the fundamental right to health protection, stated the group in an email.
“We cannot accept that a strategic asset for the health of Madeirans is sacrificed for merely financial purposes. The Nélio Mendonça Hospital should be converted to continued elderly assistance and palliative care, filling a serious need in our Region, instead of being handed over to the private domain,” says citizens’ spokesperson, Sofia Vieira.
“And the sale of an asset of this social relevance for merely financial purposes (debt payment) constitutes a probable misuse of power and a violation of the Principle of the Pursuit of the Public Interest (Article 4 of the CPA). 6. In addition, the right to health protection (Article 64 of the CRP) obliges the State to maximise existing resources before handing them over to the private domain, especially when the regional health network still has critical gaps.”
The participants also requested the Public Prosecutor’s Office to file an Injunction to suspend any sale process, claiming that the loss of this infrastructure would cause irreversible damage to Madeira’s public health network.
The participants also call on other citizens and civic movements to unite in the defense of public heritage and health in the Region.
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
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