The direct adjustment eventually went to the same company that was not fulfilling what was stipulated in the public tender contract.
The emergency medical transport operation, scheduled to start on July 1, faced significant delays due to Gulf Med Inabilitythe winning company of the international public tender, to comply with what was stipulated.
Despite having won the contract in March and signed in May, the company Maltesa could not meet the deadlineespecially due to the difficulty in hiring about 40 pilots that spoke Portuguese and obtain the mandatory certifications, says.
To collect this problem, INEM launched on June 6 a preliminary consultation “by imperative urgency and necessity” to 14 companies, giving them Only four business days to respond if they were able to ensure service for a maximum of four months.
The answer was limited: the rescue and the gesticopter took over unable to meet the requirements within the stipulated periodAvincis would only accept a minimum contract of 24 months and Gulf Med presented a progressive implementation plan, with three to four helicopters on a 12 -hour basis.
With the offer of Gulf Med insufficient, INEM asked the Air Force for help between June 16 and 18, guaranteeing additional means to prevent the suspension of aeromedical transportation. On June 26, a direct adjustment was formalized with Gulf Med, worth 11 300 euros per day per aircraft for two helicopters. The contract may be in force up to one year.
Currently, three Gulf Med helicopters operate in daytimewhile the Air Force ensures night transport with two aircraft and two helicopters, and reinforces daytime service. The fourth Gulf Med helicopter is expected to start in August. This transient solution should be maintained by the end of September.
Despite the reinforcement, there are still problems because military aircraft, such as the Merlin EH-101 and Black Hawk models, have no dimensions to land In the six hospital heliports in the country, except at Braga Hospital, thus resorting to alternatives such as the Municipal Heliport of Loulé or the Pombal Aerodrome.
