Paula Santos, the parliamentary leader of the Portuguese Communist Party (PCP), considered that "we are facing an Executive Board of the National Health Service (DE-SNS) that, throughout this time, has not responded to the needs of the National Health Service (SNS)". "What has been present in recent times has been the reduction of the SNS's capacity, due to the decisions that have been made. The examples of the pediatric, obstetric and gynecology emergencies, with those temporary closures, in turn, that do not allow an adequate response, when what was required was in fact the need to ensure the conditions to fix professionals so that the SNS public services had conditions", said the leader of the communist bench to journalists, in the Assembly of the Republic. Paula Santos made a point of referring that the PCP "always" had many "reservations" about the creation of the DE-SNS. "In our proposal to amend the SNS statute, we propose its elimination and reality has proven that [the DE-SNS] has not given the necessary response to the SNS, quite the contrary", she continued. In "many circumstances", in fact, "it has reduced capacity". "Emergencies are an example, the creation of Local Health Units (ULS) is another example, which lead to the concentration of services centered on a vision of hospital care, continuing to refer primary health care to a secondary perspective", she said, asking for "investment, both in primary health care and hospital care", but with "an articulated vision and a functioning that would allow improving the provision of care to users, which is what is needed". The executive director of the National Health Service announced his resignation, together with his team, to the Minister of Health, claiming that he does not want to be an obstacle to the Government in the policies and measures it deems necessary. "Respecting the principle of institutional loyalty, I will present to the Minister of Health, together with the team I lead, the request for resignation from the position of executive director of the National Health Service", said Fernando Araújo in a statement. According to Fernando Araújo, this "difficult decision" will allow the new guardianship to "execute the policies and measures it deems necessary, with the required speed, preventing the current executive board (DE-SNS) from being considered an obstacle to its implementation". "The DE-SNS is a technical body, a public institute of the State, which must be above political issues or partisan agendas, and which executes public policies determined by the Government", also highlighted the statement signed by Fernando Araújo. The executive board began its activity on January 1, 2023, following the new Statute of the National Health Service (SNS) proposed by then Minister Marta Temido, with the aim of coordinating the assistance response of all SNS units and modernizing its management. Read Also: From the "difficult decision" to the hearing in the AR. Fernando Araújo's departure from the SNS (Portuguese version)