The Portuguese Communist Party (PCP) has asked for greater public transparency about the New Hospital of Madeira, citing rising construction costs, delays and uncertainty over how the remaining work will be paid for. The issue was discussed by a delegation from the PCP’s Regional Directorate in a meeting with the Representative of the Republic for the Autonomous Region of Madeira. After the meeting, the party’s regional coordinator, Edgar Silva, said the talks centred on what he called the project’s “enormous cost overruns” and the setbacks affecting its construction. Silva blamed the current situation in part on the procurement model used for the hospital, saying that splitting the project into separate public tenders was “a very serious management error” and placing responsibility on the Regional Government. The PCP wants to know who will cover the extra costs needed to finish the hospital and where the funding will come from. It is also asking whether the Regional Government has ordered an updated cost-benefit analysis and when a new environmental impact assessment will be carried out, given the changes to the original project. Silva further said the Portuguese Government should clarify whether it will help with the additional costs and whether it still sees the New Hospital of Madeira as a viable project, while also questioning the timetable after the hospital was originally expected to become operational in 2024.
