Recent incidents have highlighted ongoing chaos within Portugal’s National Health Service (SNS) and the National Institute of Medical Emergency (INEM).
The latest case occurred on Saturday. A 49-year-old man in critical condition with a cranial trauma waited over five hours for transfer from Covilhã hospital to Coimbra hospital.
Currently, only one helicopter is available nationally for emergency response. Had the INEM service been operational, the transfer would have taken approximately an hour and a half.
The scooter accident in the village of Paul, Covilhã, happened during the afternoon, with firefighters arriving quickly. However, this incident underscores the vulnerabilities of current nighttime aerial emergency services.
Last week, it was revealed that two pregnant women lost their babies after visiting multiple hospitals where obstetric emergencies were closed.
