CDS/Algarve Slams Loulé City Council for Oncology Centre Delays: Is Bureaucracy to Blame?

CDS/Algarve Criticizes Loulé City Council

Rodrigo Borges de Freitas, president of CDS/Algarve, has voiced strong criticism against the Loulé City Council and the former PS Government for their handling of the Southern Reference Oncology Center (CORS). He described their actions as an "unacceptable inertia and incompetence" in a recent statement.

Essential Project at a Standstill
The CDS emphasized that this project is crucial for cancer patients in the Algarve, yet it remains stalled due to a "spectacle of bureaucracy, lack of political will, and disrespect for citizens". They argue that the Southern Oncology Center should be finished by the end of 2024, which would allow thousands of patients to receive necessary treatment locally, rather than making exhausting trips to Lisbon or Seville.

Bureaucratic Delays
Freitas pointed out that the project has been hindered by a technical issue involving over 900 square meters of construction, which could have been resolved swiftly. Instead of addressing these challenges, the socialist government of Loulé allegedly stalled the process, delaying a vital infrastructure that could potentially save lives.

Promises Unfulfilled
The previous Socialist Government had promised funding and support for the project but left many questions unanswered: there is no defined land, no implemented project, and the promised funds are absent. Freitas questioned how a government could pledge millions for an infrastructure without first ensuring its viability, highlighting the "shameful impasse" the project now faces.