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The former Minister of Social Affairs António Arnaut, founder of the National Health Service and co-founder of the Socialist Party (PS), has died in Coimbra, at the age of 82.

Minister of the Second Constitutional Government, formed by a coalition between the PS and the CDS, he was assigned the portfolio of Social Affairs, having launched in this capacity the bases for the National Health Service.

He was awarded the rank of Grand-Official of the Order of Freedom on April 25, 2004, in the commemorations of the 30th anniversary of the Revolution of April 25.

On April 7, 2016, during the celebrations of the Health Day, he was awarded the class of Grand-Cross of the Order of Freedom by the President of the Republic Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.

In 2016, he was named honorary president of PS at the XX Congress of the Party, after the death of António de Almeida Santos.

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Image credits:  National Health Service website