Vasco Cordeiro called attention today, in the Azorean parliament, to the "unqualifiable political opportunism" that the Regional Government and the coalition parties "are making of the tragedy that befell the Ponta Delgada hospital", which was hit by a fire on May 4.

"You want to transform this Plan and this Budget into the discussion of the recovery of the Ponta Delgada hospital. The recovery of the Ponta Delgada hospital is very important, it is essential for the health of the Azoreans, but the recovery of the hospital does not exhaust what is under discussion in this Plan and this Budget. Much more is under discussion", he said.

The socialist made the statements after his party was criticized by the social democrat deputy Joaquim Machado for not yet having said whether or not it will make the Budget viable, so that the hospital "can rise from the ashes".

"What you are doing and have done from the outset is, under a cloak of opacity and lack of transparency, wanting to place the parties that are represented in this house before the following choice: if you vote in favor of the Plan, you are in favor of the recovery of the Ponta Delgada hospital, if you do not vote in favor of the Plan, you are not in favor of the recovery", he said.

In Vasco Cordeiro's opinion, "this is a political opportunism of the tragedy that happened in the Ponta Delgada hospital that can and should be denounced".

According to the deputy and leader of the PS/Açores, who was speaking during the plenary session in the parliament of the Azores, in Horta, in the debate that marked the start of the discussion of the Plan and Budget for this year, if the coalition parties are interested in having - from the parties represented in the Regional Assembly - "the solidarity claimed", the President of the Regional Government should meet with all parties this afternoon and explain the situation of the hospital.

"Don't play cards, which is what you have done so far, only raising the issue of the accident and the tragedy that happened", he said, addressing José Manuel Bolieiro who was listening to him.

The social democrat Joaquim Machado replied to Vasco Cordeiro saying that "the political opportunism is not from the Regional Government, it is not from the coalition parties", but rather from the PS.

"Do you know how many meetings the PS has been holding on these islands after the fire with health units? Why? To spread panic among the Azoreans, to raise the suspicion that the Regional Health Service will not provide an adequate response to each of our islands", he said.

And he continued: "That is why the PS deputies, at the last minute, after the Plan and Budget had been submitted for a long time [...], after they had already heard from the members of the Regional Government, went around meeting with the administrations of the boards of directors of the health units on the island".

"Deputy Vasco Cordeiro, who made and makes political opportunism of this matter is not the coalition, nor the Government, who are working for this. [It is] the PS. At least, for the time you still have as leader, put some serenity in your party, because the disorientation is very great and you only show that you are not up to the task of helping [to solve] what is a serious problem that the region has", concluded Machado.

Vasco Cordeiro used the floor again to repudiate the accusation that the PS contributed to spreading panic among the population: "I repudiate and completely reject this vile and demagogic accusation".

The Plan and Budget of the Azores for 2024, with a value of 2,045.5 million euros, similar to that presented in October 2023 (2,036.7 million), began to be debated today in plenary in the Regional Legislative Assembly, in Horta.

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