No sooner has construction began on the long-awaited pediatric wing at Porto’s São João Hospital than DIAP investigators have opened an inquiry, protected by Secrecy of Justice.
This far, there are no ‘arguidos’ (official suspects).
Parents of children with cancer that were being treated in substandard conditions have pushed heroically for the construction of this wing, in a sense shaming authorities into finally authorising a multi-million euro construction programme (click here).
Today’s news may concern with the way the contract has been handled.
Explain reports, “given the urgency for the pediatric wing, the Law for the 2019 State Budget authorised the hospital administration to hire a company directly” (ie tenders were not put out to find the ‘best price’/ ‘best option’).
The project for the wing is in fact a decade old.
Until parents complained to the press, sick children were being cared for year after year in ‘containers’ blighted in the winter by damp.
