Cancer patients in the Algarve are “paying the price” while administrative (and political) obstacles continue to stall the project, right-wing parties say
The ongoing deadlock over the construction of the Algarve Oncology Centre – Centro Oncológico de Referência do Sul (CORS), in Portuguese – has ignited fierce criticism from right-wing political parties. The project, intended to provide vital cancer treatment to thousands of cancer patients in the Algarve and Alentejo, remains stalled due to bureaucratic hurdles – leaving patients with no choice but to continue travelling long distances for life-saving care.
The Algarve delegation of CDS-PP (the right-wing party part of the AD coalition government) has issued a scathing condemnation of what it calls “unacceptable inertia and incompetence” from both the previous Socialist government and the Loulé Municipal Council, led by Vítor Aleixo. According to Rodrigo Borges de Freitas, a CDS-PP representative, the project is stalled due to a “show of bureaucracy, political unwillingness, and disregard for citizens.”
Originally set for completion by the end of 2024, the oncology centre was expected to eliminate the need for patients to travel around 300 kilometres to Lisbon or Seville (Spain) to receive the care they need.
“The municipal council of Loulé, which initially provided the land for construction, is now presenting the biggest obstacle, citing irregularities in the ULS (Algarve Local Health Unit) project,” Borges de Freitas says. “As if it weren’t enough, Vítor Aleixo is now trying to wash his hands of the subject, blaming others and using ridiculous excuses to justify his inability to resolve the matter”.
At the heart of the dispute is a technical issue: an excess of 900 square metres in the planned construction area. CDS-PP argues that such a matter could have been resolved swiftly but was instead used as an excuse to stall progress. “Rather than finding solutions, the socialist-led executive in Loulé has chosen to delay a critical infrastructure that could save lives,” he adds.
“What we are witnessing is an attack on the dignity of cancer patients in the Algarve, who continue without access to specialised care near their homes, all because the municipal government is prioritising administrative hurdles over concrete solutions. We are tired of this ineffective leadership” the representative says.
Rodrigo Borges de Freitas further demands that the council “immediately resolve the licensing issue, accelerating the revision process of the Detailed Plan (Plano de Pormenor), as it should have done months ago.” He also called on ULS Algarve to “review and adjust the project to ensure it meets all necessary requirements without further delays” and insisted that the government “clarify unequivocally where the promised funds are and what measures will be taken to ensure this infrastructure moves forward without further obstacles.”
Iniciativa Liberal (IL) Algarve also voiced strong concerns over the delays, lamenting the “lack of political will” to move forward with the project and stressing that “this is a matter of public health” that requires a “practical approach”.
In a press release, the party lament how “administrative manoeuvres are creating unnecessary roadblocks instead of accelerating the process.” IL also stresses that Algarve remains one of Portugal’s most underserved regions in cancer care, forcing patients to endure “long and gruelling” journeys for treatment at a time when they are “already very fragile.”
“In the midst of this inaction, patients and their families are the ones paying the price. Health cannot be held hostage by political interests. If administrative obstacles exist, they should be overcome immediately. If there are political disagreements, they should be resolved through the proper channels – not at the expense of those who need urgent care.”
The state-of-the-art health facility specialising in cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment will provide crucial services to 3,500 patients annually, with a projected reach of 14,200 patients by 2029.
