The provider of the Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa, Ana Jorge, is being heard in Parliament this Wednesday, May 15, after having been dismissed by the PSD/CDS-PP Executive on April 30, due to "total inaction" and mismanagement.

In response to the deputies, who questioned her about the financial situation of the institution and about the internationalization of social games to Brazil, Ana Jorge began by responding to the accusations of the Minister of Labour, Solidarity and Social Security, Maria do Rosário Palma Ramalho.

"I have held several political positions always with great pride, dedication and loyalty. Whenever I was called to exercise politics, I sought to defend a more just and progressive society. In fact, this has always been my fascination with politics," she began by saying, then going on to respond to the government's accusations.

"I cannot therefore fail to be outraged by the accusations that the board and I myself are being targeted by the Minister of Labour, Solidarity and Social Security, in an interview with RTP", she said, refuting them.

"The Minister stated that the board of Santa Casa had acted in its own interest in increasing its salaries. I absolutely reject these accusations, which I deeply regret and which revealed a total lack of knowledge on the part of the ministry. The salaries are set by the member of the Government responsible for Social Security", she explained.

Ana Jorge, who remains in office despite having been dismissed, also clarified that when she joined Santa Casa, a survey was made of the institution's financial situation, revealing that it was at risk of "not being able to pay salaries".

The official also revealed that she and her team were informed of the dismissal by email: "I received an email from the Minister [of Labour] through her chief of staff. It said that we were ‘under management’".

The provider also revealed that all the "sustainability" measures taken from May 2023 to April this year were "contained in a document submitted to the minister, along with 25 other documents", which contradicts what the Government said, which accused Ana Jorge of failing to provide this information.

It should be recalled that the hearing in the parliamentary committee on Labour, Social Security and Inclusion that is taking place today was requested by the parliamentary groups of the IL, PS and Chega, after the Government dismissed Ana Jorge and the other members of the board on April 30, with immediate effect, and justified the decision with "seriously negligent actions" that affected the management of the institution.

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