The REAGIR party has argued that the inauguration of the Santa Clara Social Complex will do little to address Madeira’s chronic shortage of nursing home places, claiming that between 1,200 and 1,250 people remain on waiting lists for a place in a Residential Structure for the Elderly (ERPI).
The movement notes that, of the 85 beds available at the new facility, only 20 are designated as social care places. A further 15 beds will be reserved for patients who have been discharged from hospital but are awaiting placement in other social care facilities.
According to REAGIR, this demonstrates that the ongoing problem of delayed hospital discharges is rooted in the lack of available social care services.
In a statement, the party said the Regional Government has responded to mounting pressures with “announcements and isolated measures” rather than a comprehensive plan.
“Today it presents another separate solution, when what Madeira really needs is an integrated strategy that responds simultaneously to delayed hospital discharges, nursing home waiting lists and the challenges of an ageing population,” the statement said.
REAGIR questioned how the Government expects to reduce a waiting list of more than 1,200 people when only 20 of the new beds are available as social care places.
“If 15 beds are immediately allocated to hospital discharges and only 20 are social vacancies, how does the Government intend to reduce a waiting list of more than 1,200 people?” the party asked.
The party also criticised comments made by the provider of the Santa Casa da MisericĂłrdia do Funchal, who described monthly fees ranging from €1,250 to €5,000 as “fair.”
REAGIR questioned whether a facility built with €13.3 million in funding from the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR) is fully meeting its intended social purpose, when only 20 of its 85 places are reserved for social care.
“Rather than debating whether these prices are ‘fair,’ the real question is whether they are compatible with the social mission of an institution such as Santa Casa da MisericĂłrdia,” the statement said.
“A solidarity institution cannot become a service accessible only to those with substantial financial means while hundreds of elderly people remain without care and thousands of families continue to face the daily anguish of being unable to secure a place for their loved ones.”
The party added that, despite repeated inaugurations and assurances from the Regional Government that no one would be denied a place because of financial hardship, the reality remains very different.
“More than 1,200 Madeirans are still waiting for a place in a nursing home. Hospitals continue to struggle with delayed discharges, and hundreds of families remain without an adequate response for their elderly relatives,” it said.
REAGIR is calling for greater investment in nursing homes, home support services, convalescence units and long-term care facilities, arguing that Madeira’s ageing population requires long-term planning and structural reforms rather than isolated projects.
“The people of Madeira expect solutions, not announcements. They expect answers, not propaganda. Governing is not simply inaugurating buildings; it is ensuring that no elderly person is left without the care they need, when they need it most,” the party concluded.
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
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