The newly appointed president of INEM, Luís Mendes Cabral, on Friday emphasized in a message to workers that the restructuring of the National Institute of Medical Emergency should proceed swiftly, cautioning that those who resist change will not be included in the process.
“It is my intention to include all those who wish to be part of the new National Institute of Medical Emergency (INEM). However, it is also my duty to ensure a swift restructuring process, so those who choose to remain immobile or resist change without reason will remain in the old INEM,” wrote Luís Mendes Cabral.
Rui Lázaro, president of the STEPH, expressed “considerable surprise” upon reading the new president’s statement, remarking, “In INEM and in medical emergencies, we are not accustomed to leaving anyone behind.”
“This has also been the stance of the Health Minister. Therefore, we repudiate the president’s words, invite him to retract them, and hope he does so, as we are not accustomed in medical emergencies to leaving workers or citizens behind,” stressed the union leader.
When asked if the INEM president’s remarks might instigate a “conflict” with staff, Rui Lázaro expressed concern about the potential for such a situation.
“We fear it might, but hope it won’t, as experience shows us that presidents who took similar stances, though not as severe, did not perform well and did not remain long in charge of the Institute’s direction,” he underlined.
Rui Lázaro also commented on the Independent Technical Commission’s (CTI) proposal for INEM’s restructuring, published today by Público, which suggests establishing a single central system by merging CODU and SNS24, and opening non-emergency patient transport to the private sector.
The union leader considers it “positive” that the proposal has been disclosed, but emphasizes the need to fully understand it “in detail.”
He expressed “some doubts” about the feasibility of merging the two platforms, INEM and the SNS24 line, into one, explaining that “the SNS24 line operates on an outsourcing model, with virtually no permanent staff, whereas INEM has dedicated professionals permanently stationed in the operations room.”
On the other hand, there are measures that align with what STEPH has been advocating over recent years.
“Many of these measures were previously announced by the Health Minister in response to MPs in the Assembly of the Republic, yet they contradict what the current INEM president stated on Friday at a congress in Fátima, particularly that the system’s foundation should not evolve,” he pointed out.
The official emphasized that the Independent Technical Commission concludes that “the pre-hospital emergency technical career must continue to evolve, should become even more specialized, and should also be expanded to all system ambulances,” as advocated by the union.
For Rui Lázaro, this “contrary stance” to INEM’s president raises the question of “whether he is the right person to lead the INEM’s restructuring.”
