Speaking to journalists at the end of a visit to Braga Hospital, Carlos Cortes admitted that the political crisis resulting from the resignation of the Prime Minister and the consequent interruption of negotiations between the Government and medical unions have added “a factor of greater instability” for the functioning of the National Health Service (SNS).

“The best scenario is for the Government to urgently resolve the problems we have on the table. As far as I know, we still have a Minister of Health, we still have a Government, so this continues to be in the hands of the Government and, at this moment, also the President of the Republic”, he said.

For the president, “in the midst of all this, it is necessary to understand, what is still possible to establish, still possible to resolve in the SNS”, even with the current minister.

“Health cannot wait, health cannot wait for elections, health cannot wait for the appointment of another Prime Minister, Health cannot wait for the Minister of Health’s lesser or greater capacity for execution and intervention,” he added.

Carlos Cortes said that, in his personal opinion, the clarification of the country's “nebulous situation” “can only happen with elections.

Meanwhile, the Order will wait for the President of the Republic's decision on the country's political future, before pronouncing the steps in the doctors' struggle.

The Prime Minister, António Costa, asked the President of the Republic for his resignation on Tuesday after the Public Ministry revealed that he is the target of an independent investigation by the Supreme Court of Justice into lithium and hydrogen projects.