High-Stakes Health Scandal: Police Raids in Portugal Over Preferential Treatment

Police have raided Portugal's health ministry and largest hospital as part of an investigation into possible misconduct involving preferential access to a costly medical treatment for baby twins. The scrutiny includes potential crimes such as malfeasance, abuse of power, and qualified fraud. Searches also extended to other health service units and private homes.

Police raided Portugal's health ministry and largest hospital on Thursday in an investigation into whether officials broke laws by giving preferential access to a costly medical treatment to baby twins whose family had sought help from the president. The prosecutor general's office said in a statement the authorities were looking into possible crimes of malfeasance in public office, abuse of power and qualified fraud. Searches also encompassed social security offices, other health service units and private homes.

It did not identify officials who were suspected or discuss any connection to President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa. The high-profile case dates back to 2019-2020 when the Brazilian-born twins, then 15 months old, were treated with Zolgensma - one of the world's most expensive drugs - at Lisbon's Santa Maria hospital, costing the state around four million euros ($4.35 million).

Zolgensma is used to treat babies and toddlers under the age of two for spinal muscular atrophy - a rare and serious hereditary disease. The twins' mother later said in an interview that after a doctor showed reluctance to provide the medicine, she used her "contacts" to speed up the process, and that one of them was the president's daughter-in-law.

Rebelo de Sousa has confirmed that his son had contacted him about the need to treat the children, but denies having any involvement in the case. The twins' treatment has become an issue because of both the public expense and concern over whether they might have bypassed other patients who had requested the same treatment.

The anti-immigration, populist party Chega has criticised the conservative president and the health ministry over the issue and has set up a parliamentary committee to look into the case. A spokesperson for the hospital said it would collaborate with authorities, and a health ministry spokesperson confirmed the searches but declined to provide further details. ($1 = 0.9195 euros)

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