The proposal to establish a parliamentary committee of inquiry into the National Institute of Medical Emergency (INEM) will be discussed on Wednesday and voted on Friday. This stance was presented by the parliamentary leader of the PCP, Paula Santos.
In a statement to journalists, Paula Santos expressed that the communist bench will “support” this initiative, “because there are indeed issues of political responsibility, and these are the questions that the Assembly of the Republic also evaluates within the scope of its competencies”.
She emphasized “a lack of response from the Government in ensuring that INEM has the necessary resources”.
According to Paula Santos, ensuring the population has access to adequate emergency services requires resources like vehicles, helicopters, and healthcare professionals.
“It is unacceptable that resources are currently inoperative due to a lack of workers. We also see the abusive reliance on overtime to ensure what should be covered by contracted workers,” she added.
Paula Santos described the Government’s approach as “unacceptable because it is not assuming its responsibilities concerning the populations, nor regarding the infrastructure, in this case, the INEM”.
“This is the public administration body that effectively ensures emergency services to the population,” she stated.
On the recent prison escape from Alcoentre involving two inmates who were later recaptured, Paulo Santos highlighted his party’s ongoing warnings about insufficient investment, including issues with watchtower conditions.
Referring to a previous escape, Paulo Santos noted the lack of follow-up investment, despite commitments from Justice Minister Rita Alarcão Júdice to conduct a review by last year. “We are now in 2025, and despite all these months, nothing has been done,” he remarked.
“There are several known issues, such as the lack of prison guards, which they themselves have pointed out. There is indeed a need for reinforcement and the appreciation of prison guards, ensuring working conditions and effective recruitment,” he concluded.
