The authorities have issued a joint statement addressing ongoing efforts to address the staffing challenges impacting the Emergency and Resuscitation Medical Vehicle (VMER) at Portalegre Hospital, attributed to a shortage of doctors.
Both entities acknowledge the potential consequences of this emergency medical unit’s inoperability and reiterate their commitment to maintaining essential services at a high standard for the public.
As a response, INEM will provide additional training slots for professionals from or nominated by ULS Alto Alentejo.
“Collaborations will temporarily involve reallocating emergency resources in the VMER Portalegre area during staffing shortages,” the statement added.
Emails from the ULS Alto Alentejo administration confirmed that between January 1 and July 31, VMER linked to Portalegre Hospital was non-operational for 480 hours in total.
The Portalegre City Council has also requested full operational status for VMER during a meeting with ULS Alto Alentejo’s administration.
After the meeting, held on a recent Monday, the mayor, Fermelinda Carvalho, expressed concern about frequent disruptions in VMER operations and requested a resolution from ULS Alto Alentejo.
“This issue of non-operational time is not new. Historically, it’s been a recurring problem,” Carvalho stated, adding that recent estimates indicate the service is inactive about 10% of the time.
Carvalho emphasized, “This is unacceptable,” and reiterated that she demanded the VMER be operational 100% of the time.
Reports on August 29 indicated a 56-year-old man’s death in Marvão, located within Portalegre district, following a cardiac arrest.
The television station reported that the fire brigade responded because VMER Portalegre was unavailable.
This marked the second death in this Alentejo district coinciding with VMER’s unavailability.
Lusa sought clarification from the Health Activity Inspectorate on these deaths and whether inquiries into VMER’s downtime were initiated, but no details have emerged yet.
