"Following the Prime Minister's proposal, the President of the Republic will hand over the role on Saturday, to the new Minister of Health, Manuel Francisco Pizarro de Sampaio e Castro, by 6pm, in the Palace of Belém," reads a note published on the official page of the Presidency of the Republic.


Manuel Pizarro was secretary of State for Health in the second executive led by José Sócrates, with Ana Jorge as minister.


On a political level, Manuel Pizarro was twice defeated as candidate for mayor of Porto, and is the leader of the Oporto federation of the Socialist Party, and was ninth on the list of candidates for Socialist MEPs in the last European Parliament elections.


More recently, he replaced Carlos Zorrinho as leader of the PS members of the European Parliament.


Marta Temido, 48, resigned as health minister on 30 August but António Costa asked her to stay on for a few more weeks until the approval of the diploma regulating the National Health Service (SNS) was completed.


This diploma was approved in the Council of Ministers and presented by Marta Temido herself on Thursday.


Born in Coimbra, Marta Temido has been the Minister of Health since October 2018, having replaced Adalberto Campos Fernandes.