The Prime Minister said today that the Government is ready to launch the tender for the construction of a new maternity hospital in Coimbra, but defended that it is recommended to wait for the new elected municipal executive to take office.
António Costa referred to one of his most controversial promises made in the last campaign for local elections in the first parliamentary debate on general policy of this legislative session – a debate that takes place four days before the Government deliver to the Assembly of the Republic the State Budget proposal for 2022.
This question about the construction of the new maternity hospital in Coimbra was introduced by President of the PS Parliamentary Group, Ana Catarina Mendes.
In his reply, António Costa mentioned that, following the last local elections, the coalition led by the PSD won the PS, with a change in execution as such. Coimbra municipal ivo.
“We can launch tomorrow the competition, but I believe that common sense and democratic respect are in order, and respect for the competences of the Chamber of Coimbra is required to wait for the inauguration of the new president”, José Manuel Silva, former president of the Ordem dos Médicos, declared António Costa.
In other words, for the leader of the Government, “it is important that the new executive pronounces itself on this matter”.
“Those who have waited so many years can certainly wait a few more weeks. If they understand that haste should be superimposed on respect for the democratic election that took place in Coimbra, we will launch [o concurso] tomorrow. If they understand that it is common sense to wait for the inauguration of the new executive, we will wait and will resume the dialogue at the point where we stayed exactly with the executive [socialista] who is now leaving office”, he said.
In front of the deputies, António Costa pointed out that there was a “great debate in Coimbra” in the country about where maternity should be located, and that there was a “very intense dialogue with the Chamber Municipal” of the city.
“In July this year, the Minister of Health, Marta Temido, approved the location proposed by the Board of Directors of the Hospital Center of the University of Coimbra. In August, the Board of Directors of the Hospital Center of the University of Coimbra sent all the documentation to the City Council of Coimbra about the location and all the studies to carry out the Coimbra maternity hospital”, he said.
Afterwards, the prime minister pointed out that on September 26, with the municipal elections, there was a political change in the Coimbra executive.
“Therefore, the Hospital Center Administration Council has already had the opportunity to meet informally with the elected president, giving him all the available information. The new Chamber, as soon as it takes office, will obviously have the right to consider and pronounce on the process. For our part, we have everything ready to launch the contest tomorrow,” he added.