Yesterday, Wednesday, April 19, the Union of Pre-Hospital Emergency Technicians (STEPH) denounced several cases of delays in sending INEM resources, one of which led to the death of a person in Faro.
In a statement that the Sul Informação had access, STEPH says it became aware of an occurrence in the Algarve capital, which involved a suicide attempt, for which INEM «could not find an ambulance available».
«For a case with this degree of priority, effectively threatening life, an Emergency and Resuscitation Medical Vehicle was only sent to the scene 1h45 after the initial call. From the information received and which we have already had the opportunity to confirm, given the unavailability of ambulances in the region, not even after all this time has the INEM been able to send” the ambulance, they denounce.
Rui Lázaro, president of STEPH, also told the Sul Informação that there were more cases of long delays in the Algarve. In Olhão, a 60-year-old woman with a suspected stroke waited 2h32 for help. In Cachopo (Tavira), a 74-year-old man, also suspected of having a stroke, had to wait 52 minutes.
The situation occurred on the day that STEPH was in the Assembly of the Republic, to hear and clarify the deputies of the Parliamentary Health Committee.
«Because these are very serious cases, as a result of the inefficiency of a service that INEM should guarantee citizens, any serious negligence in emergency medical assistance, will be forwarded to the competent authorities, including the Minister of Health, this and other complaints received by this trade union association», the union also mentions.
A few days ago, INEM was also in the news in the Algarve due to the conditions in which pre-hospital emergency professionals in Lagos work.
In a CNN report, professionals say that the base of operations was transferred to this CHUA unit, recently renovated, but the technicians were placed in the basement, «without a network, nor safety and hygiene conditions».
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