“The Health Minister assured that, from the perspective of ministerial signatures, which also involves the Ministry of Finance, everything is resolved,” António Nunes stated after meeting with Ana Paula Martins at the Ministry of Health in Lisbon.
Last month, the National Institute of Medical Emergency (INEM) warned in a letter to fire brigades with emergency medical ambulances of potential delays in monthly subsidy payments due to the “significant increase in amounts” resulting from the new funding agreement.
In February, LBP and INEM signed an agreement establishing the new subsidies to be granted by INEM to fire brigades with emergency medical ambulances, providing a monthly amount of €8,760 with retroactive effect from January this year, reflecting an increase of €2,000.
“I don’t know if we will be able, by Friday, to resolve the administrative and bureaucratic aspects because although the funds are released, they must then enter INEM’s budget, and subsequently, INEM must make the payments to the fire brigades. This will take about four or five days to regularize the situation,” António Nunes emphasized.
The president of LBP reiterated that Ana Paula Martins gave “express indications” to avoid delays.
“Now it remains for INEM to have the administrative capacity to process the payments,” he asserted.
