During a parliamentary health committee hearing requested by the PS faction, Álvaro Almeida announced that the program is active in 27 of the 39 local health units (ULS) that the Shared Services of the Ministry of Health (SPMS) determined the line could support.
Upon reaching the 27 ULS, “it was understood by the SPMS and agreed upon by the Executive Directorate that there was no capacity to further expand the program,” acknowledged the official responsible for managing the National Health Service (SNS) unit network.
Álvaro Almeida further informed parliamentarians that the Executive Directorate would like to extend the “call before, save lives” initiative nationwide, acknowledging that the measure aids in better healthcare utilization, yet “operational difficulties” necessitate its limitation to the 27 ULS.
The program, initially piloted at the ULS Póvoa do Varzim-Vila do Conde and gradually expanded to other ULS, has significantly eased the operation of hospital emergencies by directing patients to the most appropriate level of care, he emphasized.
