Stressing that he had "no proof or data" to suggest that there might be "a collusion to favour anyone", Rui Lázaro said that what was happening was "at the very least, harmful management".

"It can only be that, because it is all our money that is being wasted with this type of management that we already criticised at the time we were holding talks - and which we stopped having because he did not want to - with the president of INEM [Luís Meira], who was never able to give us an answer", he stressed.

Therefore, he emphasised, "it is another argument to justify that the Assembly of the Republic should, in fact, investigate the management" of INEM.

In the hearing, Rui Lázaro said he hoped that the first resignation in the Government in the health institutions would be that of the president of INEM, but said he hoped that day would come, "not because of the people who are there, but because of the answers that need to be given and that have not been given".

He also warned about the problems in INEM's emergency centre in the Urgent Patient Guidance Centres (CODU) that lead to calls on hold.

"Very often, more than 50 calls on hold, which have already passed through the 112 centre and which INEM does not have the capacity to answer, precisely because of the technical shortage", he warned.

Citing information he has received, the union leader pointed out that in the CODU of Lisbon, the largest in the country, there are often only four or five technicians answering 112 calls, when the expected number would be between 25 and 30, a situation that he said had to be reflected in the time and capacity to respond in the CODU.

He said that this morning there was an electronic restriction in the CODU of Oporto, which means that 112 calls do not come in or come in "intermittently".

Regarding the number of emergency medical technicians, he said that the latest INEM activity report stated that, for the currently operating means, there should be 1,480 workers.

"The latest public number known, which was even disclosed by the president of INEM, was just over 900", but according to the information that the union has, although there are no official numbers, there will be about 700 providing services in emergency medical ambulances, and many of these are assigned to other services.

According to Rui Lázaro, there are some ambulances that "do not even open due to lack of resources", namely in the Centre and in Lisbon, with inoperability rates above 70% and 90%.

The president of the union also warned that the latest competitions to hire more technicians were unsuccessful and about the high rate of professional abandonment (over 40%), which he attributes "to the poor management of INEM" and to the "weak career activity".

Rui Lázaro said that the union met on Tuesday with the coordinator of the 'task force' that is preparing the emergency plan for health and that he warned him that "there are no miracles this summer".

In his opinion, the answer has to involve valuing the career, arguing that it is necessary to "immediately start the negotiation process".

"A financial signal must be given, either through a salary review or through the inclusion of a risk allowance for these professionals, so that the abandonment rate decreases drastically, but also so that the competition already announced by the Minister for 200 [technicians] can actually have candidates", he argued.

Read Also: Almost 100% of users satisfied with emergency medical services (Portuguese version)

patrocinado por Betclic

Os melhores encontros para apostar na nova semana

Descarregue a nossa App gratuita.

Oitavo ano consecutivo Escolha do Consumidor para Imprensa Online e eleito o produto do ano 2024.
* Estudo da e Netsonda, nov. e dez. 2023 produtodoano- pt.com

Descarregue a nossa App gratuita.

Oitavo ano consecutivo Escolha do Consumidor para Imprensa Online e eleito o produto do ano 2024.
* Estudo da e Netsonda, nov. e dez. 2023 produtodoano- pt.com