The Left Block of Évora's District Coordinating Committee expressed today enormous concern for cancer patients in the region who, since the closure of the radiotherapy service at the local hospital on June 1st, are required to travel to other hospital units in Santarém, Faro, or Lisbon to continue their treatments.
The District Coordinating Committee of Évora of the BE explained that the temporary closure was due to the replacement of the two treatment equipment units and linear accelerators, a public investment of four million euros under the Recovery and Resilience Plan, although the radiotherapy service has been concessioned to Joaquim Chaves Oncologia S.A. for years.
In parallel, the Local Health Unit of Central Alentejo had launched in February a new tender for the concession of the service for four years, valued at 18,658,209.00 euros, which was won by the Spanish company Altrys Portugal. However, according to the BE, the tender was annulled by the Court of Auditors, without the grounds for annulment being known.
The BE now demands that the president of the board of directors of ULSAC promote the reopening of the Radiotherapy Unit at the Hospital de Évora and transparently inform patients, workers, and the public about the measures to be taken. The party also alerts to the need to guarantee the jobs of radiotherapy technicians, who currently maintain their contracts with Joaquim Chaves SA but are unaware of their near future.
