The Minister of Health, Ana Paula Martins, announced on Tuesday that there is “no direct link” between a patient’s death and the INEM strike, expressing deep regret over the incident. The focus lies on the reports released by the Health Activities General Inspection (IGAS) concerning deaths that occurred during the pre-hospital emergency technicians’ strike.
“The reports released today help clarify what happened with three emergency calls during the strike days. In two of these reports, concerning a possible delay, IGAS states: ‘There was no causal link between the delay in service and the patients’ deaths’,” she began when addressing journalists.
She continued, “In the third case, involving an 86-year-old patient, it was concluded that despite, and I quote again, ‘a low probability of survival, we should have managed to arrive faster’. It is our duty, and saving lives is the mission of INEM.”
Ana Paula Martins noted, citing the report again, that “the patient’s condition was worsened by existing comorbidities and significant cardiovascular pathology history.”
“The Ministry of Health requested the full report on this case from the inspector general. It’s necessary to state: the report does not establish a direct link between this death and the strike. The report states that the victim’s clinical condition, and I quote again, ‘prevents under these circumstances the establishment of a causal link between the delay in service and the occurring death,” she said.
She added, “There were clear delays in service and, therefore, in providing aid. The so-called lack of a causal link does not reassure me, nor does it reassure the Government. And I am sure it does not reassure the medical emergency professionals.”
“Regarding what happened during those days of strikes, even without a causal link, we know that the information circuit regarding the strike announcements did not work well. Therefore, we have already changed it and I can assure you that such malfunction will not happen again. In the strike held since, everything proceeded with normality,” she stated.
The Minister of Health emphasized knowing that “medical emergency is a duty of the State”. “Every day, INEM receives, on average, 4,434 calls and provides aid to 4,100 people. Of these, nearly 800 are seriously ill and of maximum priority.”
“Drawing political consequences from situations like those experienced means solving the problems and not giving up. Medical emergency, like the National Health Service, saves thousands of lives daily. When that is not possible, when a death occurs, even if inevitable, we not only regret but also learn from it. And that’s what we are doing,” she stressed.
[News in update]
