Minister accuses Santa Casa provider of “total inaction” and rejects political sanitation – Politics

The Minister of Labour, Solidarity and Social Security this Tuesday accused the dismissed Santa Casa provider of “total inaction”, the administration of benefiting itself and rejected the idea of ​​”political sanitation” in the dismissal.

In an interview with RTP, minister Maria do Rosário Ramalho stated that she had “a very solid basis” for the decision to dismiss the provider of the Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa (SCML), Ana Jorge, as well as the rest of the institution’s board (administration). .

“I’ve even heard that it was a political clean-up. It was nothing”, assured the minister, who justified Ana Jorge’s dismissal “for management reasons”, accusing her of “total inaction” in the face of the financial crisis situation that she inherited from previous administration, reiterating what the Government had already stated in the statement regarding the dismissal about the lack of a restructuring plan.

“The conversation we had did not show any sense of urgency given the situation that existed”, said Maria do Rosário Ramalho, insisting that “there was nothing” and that since taking office Ana Jorge “did nothing” to improve the situation. financial.

The minister stated that “it didn’t cross our minds [do Governo]which did not have a financial restructuring plan” or which “had increased personnel expenses”, noting that expenses were only cut with 19 directors, who lost these positions and the supplements associated with them, but remained in the institution, having, for on the other hand, highlighting the board’s decision to increase their own salaries.

“Those at the table were even increased. We were surprised. (…) they benefited themselves, not at all, the people who are in the operation”, criticized the minister, who mentioned that the majority of workers at SCML earn the minimum wage.

Regarding the accusations of “slander and bad faith” made by Ana Jorge regarding the justifications for dismissal from the SCML board, Maria do Rosário Ramalho said that she finds this “very strange”, listing a succession of events up until the moment of dismissal, such as the lack of a report on measures to be taken or a response to a set of “very basic questions” posed by the guardianship and to which Ana Jorge never responded.

Pointing out “communication failures”, the minister said she had lost confidence in the dismissed provider, “absolutely”, which is why she took the decision to dismiss her “on the basis of the law”.

She rejected, however, that any criminal action is foreseen against the action of Ana Jorge at the head of SCML, stressing that what worries her “is the management” and that the decision taken is based on data collected by the Government, which the minister did not want details before making them known to deputies at the parliamentary hearing.

Maria do Rosário Ramalho rejected the allegations of political sanitation pointed out to the Government in the dismissal of Ana Jorge, who remains in the position under current management until she is replaced in the position, as “it is the obligation of any person who performs public functions”.

The process of replacing Ana Jorge “is urgent, but it is not hasty”, guaranteed the minister.

“If it were a political clean-up, I would already have four or five people there”, added the official, who added that the Government is looking for “a financial profile” for the successor, not taking it for granted that he can be found within one of the parties of the coalition, but not ruling it out: “There are very good financiers in all parties.”

The minister stressed that the Government intends “a change of orientation” for the position.

“We may be facing the total danger of SCML’s operation this year and this danger has unfortunately intensified over the last year. SCML only did not have losses this year because there was an injection from the State”, he said, adding that the debt of 50 million euros from SCML no longer exists.

Ana Jorge took office on May 2, 2023, chosen by the previous socialist government of António Costa, and inherited an institution with serious financial difficulties, after years of pandemic and a process of internationalization of social games, carried out by the administration of provider Edmundo Martinho, which may have caused losses of around 50 million euros.

After her dismissal, the provider wrote a letter to all SCML workers, in which she accused the Government of having dismissed her in a “rude, arrogant and slanderous manner” and that she was taken by surprise.