After meeting with Ana Paula Martins, the union president informed Lusa that the “extraordinary reason” which recently led the STEPH to announce participation in the strike has been resolved, but the pre-hospital emergency technicians (TEPH) of INEM are “free” to join the general strike on Thursday in protest against the labor package.
Last week, STEPH decided to join the general strike, a decision made “unanimously” that primarily stemmed from the breach of the agreement signed in August with the Government and the National Institute of Medical Emergency (INEM).
This agreement envisaged the implementation of clinical action protocols which, according to the union structure, “would result in better care for citizens.”
“In this meeting, the minister reinforced the commitment to fulfill this memorandum of understanding, even maintaining the same deadlines. The intention is to complete it by the end of the year since most of the work is practically done,” said Rui Lázaro.
“Given this, we are retracting our participation in the strike, considering that pre-hospital emergency technicians now no longer have this extraordinary reason,” the union leader stated.
The clinical action protocols, envisioned since 2016 and having received favorable opinions from the Medical Association, include the administration of certain drugs in critical situations for citizens.
Since August, protocols in the areas of anaphylaxis, seizure, and sepsis have been implemented, while the ones for pain and seizure response are yet to be applied.
Without the TEPH’s ability to implement these protocols, these actions would need to be carried out only by doctors or nurses in the more specialized response vehicles.
On Friday, INEM announced that minimum services were defined for the general strike and expressed confidence that pre-hospital emergency technicians would ensure that no emergency situation would go unaddressed.
