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

"I have even heard that it was a political purge. It was nothing of the sort", the minister assured, 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 the previous administration, reiterating what the Government had already stated in the communiqué regarding the dismissal about the non-existence of a restructuring plan.

"The conversation we had did not show any sense of urgency in the face of the situation that existed", said Maria do Rosário Ramalho, insisting that "there was nothing" and that since taking office Ana Jorge "has done nothing" to improve or reverse the financial situation.

The minister stated that "it did not occur to us [the Government] that there was no financial restructuring plan" or that "expenses with staff had increased", stating that only expenses with 19 managers were cut, who lost these positions and the supplements associated with them, but remained in the institution, while, on the other hand, highlighting the board's decision to increase their own salaries.

"Those of the board were even increased. We find this strange. (...) they benefited themselves, not at all the people who are in the operation", criticized the minister, who stated that the majority of workers at SCML earn the minimum wage.

Regarding the accusations of "slander and bad faith" made by Ana Jorge about the justifications for the dismissal of the SCML board, Maria do Rosário Ramalho said that she finds this "very strange", listing a series of events up to the moment of dismissal, such as the non-existence of a report on measures to be taken or a response to a set of "very basic questions" posed by the supervising authority and to which Ana Jorge never responded.

Pointing out "communication failures", the minister said that she had lost confidence in the dismissed head of the institution, "absolutely", and therefore made the decision to dismiss her "on the grounds of the law".

However, she rejected the idea that any criminal action is planned against Ana Jorge's actions at the head of SCML, emphasizing that what concerns her "is management" and that the decision taken is based on data collected by the Government, which the minister did not want to detail before presenting it to the deputies, at the parliamentary hearing.

Maria do Rosário Ramalho rejected the allegations of political purge levelled at the Government in the dismissal of Ana Jorge, who remains in office in current management until she is replaced, as "is the obligation of anyone who exercises public functions".

The process of replacing Ana Jorge "is urgent, but not hasty", the minister assured.

"If it were a political purge, I would already have four or five people to put there", added the minister, who said that the Government is looking for "a financial profile" for the successor, not confirming that they could be found within one of the coalition parties, but not ruling it out: "There are very good financiers in all parties".

The minister stressed that the Government wants "a change of direction" for the position.

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

Ana Jorge took office on 2 May 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 in the order of 50 million euros.

After her dismissal, the head of the institution 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.

Read Also: Former member of the Santa Casa demands justifications from the ministry about dismissal (Portuguese version)