Thousands of photocopies of an open letter from a Social Democrat councillor, criticising Health Secretary Carlos Martins, have been placed in post boxes in Portimão. The letter was originally published in the last edition of the newspaper O Algarve, a paper with a circulation of about 4,000. The author of the letter, Ms Nunes, criticises the nomination of Ofélia Ramos for the administrative board of Faro Hospital.
Ramos is the daughter of Faro’s Social Democratic leader, Justino Ramos. In the letter, Nunes questions the wisdom of the nomination, writing: “Is placing the children of local party leaders, who are manifestly inexperienced, in top positions in an area as delicate as the administration of Faro Hospital, really part of the politics of transparency and competence advocated by this government? It’s important to make clear that the person responsible for nominations is the Health Secretary, Carlos Martins.”
Replying to the criticism, Martins said: “The same person (Ramos) had already had her name put forward for another post (to be a delegate of the Portuguese Youth Institute) without it ever being contested. The use of photocopied letters is a technique used by people who do not have any arguments to dispute matters in progress, such as the international tender for the new Portimão Health Centre, plans for the re-use of the old building and the Regional Health Plan.”
