Mafra elderly care facility inaugurated but unable to open

Minister of Labor, Solidarity, and Social Security Maria do Rosário Palma Ramalho inaugurated a new residential facility for the elderly in Mafra, operated by the Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Mafra. Despite the inauguration, the facility cannot begin operations because a formal agreement with the Social Security Institute has not yet been signed.

The project represents a total investment of 4.4 million euros, with 2.3 million euros provided through the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR). While the facility has the capacity for 60 users, the lack of a state agreement prevents the government from subsidizing 48 of those positions.

Joaquim Sardinha, the provider for the Santa Casa, confirmed that the absence of this agreement is preventing the facility from functioning. In response to reports of other institutions facing similar delays, Minister Palma Ramalho stated that the delays are part of “normal procedure” and noted that efforts toward debureaucratization are intended to accelerate the process.