This afternoon, the Secretary-General of the Socialist Party, José Luís Carneiro, proposed to the Prime Minister the creation of a coordination unit for hospital emergencies, addressing a problem in an area where he accuses the government of failing.
“All proposals that aim to improve the coordination of emergency activities are always welcome, and therefore, this proposal, like any other, needs to be understood, studied, and thoroughly investigated to comprehend its reach and the real effects of increased coordination,” said the president of the Portuguese Firefighters League (LBP), António Nunes, in a statement to Lusa.
The official indicated that the management of resources is not a new topic and it is crucial to “discuss in-depth how to best articulate resources,” meaning in a complementary and not competitive manner.
“A year ago, we signed a memorandum of understanding between the National Institute of Medical Emergency (INEM), the League of Firefighters, and INEM’s Executive Directorate recognizing the need to further explore this topic,” he noted, adding that there was no opportunity to implement it due to changes in leadership at the executive direction, INEM, and even due to early elections.
António Nunes emphasized that the “general principle” of the PS’s proposal is to bring together the “participants who currently contribute individually to the emergency response system,” pointing out that there are countries that have tried different systems from the Portuguese one.
“At the Portuguese Firefighters League, we have advocated for the establishment of regional emergency coordination centers, and for the population we have, four or five centers for the Portuguese territory would suffice, instead of subdividing rooms,” he stated.
For the LBP president, “all proposals that bring to the table a discussion that must be had about the emergency response system in Portugal are always welcome.”
“They allow for the discussion of a complex issue for all of us, particularly for the firefighters,” he explained.
