According to data provided by SCMP, of this total of more than 1.9 million, bank debts amount to 1.3 million euros.

At a press conference held this afternoon at SCMP facilities, the ombudsperson, Luísa Moreira, warned that, "as long as in-depth measures are not taken" by the political power, the situation of the Misericórdias in the country will not improve.

"The politicians, our government officials, have to decide what they want for social support, what types of social economy they want," she argued.

If they intend, "as they say, to support those who need it most, then that has a cost," but, "if they don't want to, then say they don't want to and the Misericórdias will choose another path," she said.

Luísa Moreira recalled that, when the current administration of the Misericórdia de Portalegre took office, in 2021, it was faced with a debt of around 1.4 million euros.

At that time, a restructuring of the staff was carried out, 24 employees left, and all the terminations were settled.

The ombudsperson also indicated that SCMP has 131 employees, deals daily with 67 residents in a residential structure for the elderly, 39 residents in a residential home, 30 users of home support services, nine users of a day centre and 196 children in a children's centre, serving 250 meals daily.

"We are not standing still. We have resorted to all existing support and, fortunately, we have managed to get approval for an application to the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR) for Electric Mobility, with the second one submitted and with a good chance of acceptance," she said.

The ombudsperson explained that, after taking office, the administration was confronted with an "unsustainable" financial situation, with "many debts" to suppliers, and the viability of the institution itself was "at stake".

To face the difficulties and with "awareness of the imminent risk of financial collapse", the administrative board resorted to several entities, with the Government having activated a Social Relief Fund (FSS) in the amount of 500 thousand euros.

"It may seem" that SCMP "received a lot of money", but "that's not the case", stressed Luísa Moreira today, explaining that the FSS has "strict and demanding rules" and the support "is not delivered to the administrative board, nor deposited in the institution's account".

According to Luísa Moreira, this money, within the scope of a restructuring plan with Social Security, must be delivered to the Santa Casa "in instalments", according to invoices that the institution will have to present for old debts, so it does not serve to face the current difficulties.

The annual increase in salaries has "a very big impact" on annual expenses, warned Luísa Moreira, who argued that the institution feels "great difficulty" in compensating for this increase on the revenue side.

"The increase in user fees does not keep pace with the increase in expenses, so we are totally dependent on the other source of income, cooperation protocols with the Social Security Institute," she said.

However, the ombudsperson assured that, "with great effort and dynamism", salaries and holiday and Christmas allowances "have always been a priority" in the institution and, currently, invoices to suppliers are paid "within 30 to 45 days".

At this press conference, the ombudsperson also criticised the "gross errors" made in the works to expand the institution, requiring "very expensive interventions" in the conservation and recovery of the building.

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