The 2019 State Budget is approved with the Algarve's MPs delighted at a last minute change of heart over the age-old question of whether or not to build a new hospital for the region.
The answer now is, ‘yes’ after MPs approved a proposal from the Left Bloc to amend the 2019 State Budget so that the 'procedures' could start for the construction of the Central Hospital of the Algarve.
This proposal had favourable votes from all parties after the government recently had reiterated that there’s no money to build the hospital that first was agreed over a decade ago.
The Left Bloc wanted substantial investment in Portugal’s health service and demanded that the process starts for new hospitals at Barcelos, Póvoa de Varzim and the Algarve, as well as the expansion of a hospital in Beja.
'Starting the process' is a world apart from 'building a hosital' but this news is a big step forward in recognising the need for an increased service provision in the south.
The Social Democrats had to support the Left Bloc's call as it was the PSD that agreed the Algarve should have a new hospital, back in 2006. For this budget, the party had submitted a motion calling on the government to press ahead with hospital building in 2019.
As for the overall 2019 Budget, this now has been approved and will be sent to the President of the Republic for his signature.
The insertion by the PM of a catchy sound-bite should ensure that the current rash of industrial relations problems are relegated to inside pages as the headline ‘2019 Budget marks an and to IMF loan,’ is almost guaranteed maximum media attention.
The country still owes over €50 billion to the other two legs of the Troika, but paying off the IMF should mean an end to Christine Lagarde’s acerbic comments on the state of the Portuguese economy.
