“We need to make a new structural change, creating an evolving SNS,” says minister
Portugal’s health minister has called for “structural change” in the country’s trouble-torn National Health Service (SNS).
Speaking at the 45th anniversary celebrations of the SNS, Ana Paula Martins said that Portugal has already “achieved a lot” but there is “still so much, really a lot, left to do.
“We need to make a new structural change, creating an evolving SNS, while maintaining its core values of humanism, personalism, and professionalism,” she said.
In her speech at the Olive Tree Watering Ceremony, marking the 45th anniversary of the SNS in Coimbra, the minister advocated for a more efficient SNS, but above all, one that is always more supportive. “And that’s why I firmly believe that to maintain and strengthen the SNS that we all support, we need to talk about its renewal. A change that must start now, but being honest, it’s a change for more than just one legislature,” the minister highlighted.
According to Ana Paula Martins, the “structural change” she advocates is not one about the “constant discussion of day-to-day issues and what is temporary,” but instead about what “unites” people and political parties rather than what divides them.
“(We need) a change that is not compatible with the attitude of those who have done nothing but now demand that everything should have already been done. We know that we must respond to acute illnesses and the needs of our patients, because only in this way can we improve everyone’s quality of life, alleviate suffering, and create a better life for all,” the minister said, adding that “it is also necessary to reduce the burden of disease by promoting prevention and strongly investing in healthy lifestyle habits.”
Speaking to journalists after the ceremony, the minister clarified that the word “change” on such a symbolic day means more than debates and specific measures. “In the 21st century, professionals have different expectations, and citizens also have different needs and expectations.”
Martins also highlighted the importance of “maintaining the constitutional values” of the SNS but stressed the importance of recognising today’s reality, stating that other health systems are also undergoing similar changes, and “change means exactly that, it means transformation. It means looking at tools we have today that we didn’t have in the past, and that is what we came here to say today,” she stated, citing the example of the digitalisation of the SNS to better serve Portugal’s aging population.
“We are increasingly transforming the digital aspect of our SNS, which will allow us to have a completely different relationship with citizens, being closer to them, and being closer means being more vigilant and achieving better health outcomes,” she said.
When asked about elderly people’s access to new technologies, the minister defended that “it’s exactly because Portugal has an aging population” that the Ministry of Health is “developing many telemonitoring tools.
“We need to use digital technology in a positive and intelligent way that helps our human intelligence reach those who need us most,” she explained.
Source: LUSA
