A Disturbing Incident
On Monday, a 95-year-old man collapsed while preparing dinner at home. In a state of panic, his wife sought help from neighbors, and one attempted to call 112, but received no response. Desperate, he drove to the local fire station to request assistance.
Emergency Response Delay
When the firefighters arrived, they discovered that the phone call to 112 had been on hold for 28 minutes. Unfortunately, the man was pronounced dead at the scene. This incident marks the seventh reported death linked to delays in emergency response due to waiting times.
José Antunes, commander of the Ansião Volunteer Firefighters, confirmed the troubling situation, highlighting the urgent need for improvements within the National Institute of Medical Emergency (INEM).
Government Acknowledgment
Luís Montenegro, the Prime Minister, acknowledged the serious situation at INEM and emphasized the need for increased response capacity. He assured reporters that the government is committed to quickly resolving issues to avoid ongoing strikes by emergency medical technicians.
Measures to Improve Response Times
In response to the crisis, INEM announced contingency measures aimed at optimizing the Urgent Patient Orientation Centers (CODU). This includes implementing an emergency triage system for calls waiting three minutes or longer, as part of a broader strategy to enhance service efficiency amidst increasing delays.
The current shortage of pre-hospital emergency technicians, along with ongoing strikes over overtime, is exacerbating response times for 112 calls.
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