The Portuguese Firefighters League says that there is no forecast to pay the pre-hospital emergency service debts, so if it continues it, next Friday, corporations will refuse to use INEM ambulances that are assigned to them.
The Portuguese Firefighters League demanded this Saturday the payment, by Wednesday, of the pre-hospital emergency service debts, threatening to suspend, for one day, the use of ambulances of the National Institute of Medical Emergency.
The deliberation was unanimously approved at the meeting of the National Council of the Portuguese Fire League (LBP), in Protest against the delays of payments by the Ministry of Health.
Speaking to Lusa, LBP President António Nunes said there is no payment forecast, so if it continues it, next Friday, July 25, corporations will refuse to use INEM ambulances that are assigned to themwith more costs for the state.
“The Ministry of Health, in particular INEM, is delays in the settlement of the services made by the bodies of firefighters in the context of prehospital emergency and this is creating many difficulties to humanitarian associations and, although there are intentions by INEM to make these payments, this has not happened,” said the official.
The month of May has not yet been paid, with reference to April, March and February services, he added, although the Ministry of Health communicated to the firefighters that there was an agreement with the Ministry of Finance “to release the funds necessary to pay these services and the regularization of treasurers of humanitarian associations”.
This “has not happened so far and there is no predictable date for it to happen,” added António Nunes.
In that regard, The National Council of LBP set a deadline until Wednesday, July 23, to receive this money.
If not, “On Friday, the 25th, throughout the day, firefighters do not go out with the ambulances INEM and provide all the help with the ambulances of firefighters.”explained the LBP leader.
According to António Nunes, this option will not bring damage to populations, because humanitarian associations have their own enough ambulances to make prehospital help.
They will be “the same crews, but in their own ambulances” as the corporations, explained António Nunes, noting that this option will cost more to the state.
“The costs are always in INEM,” he warned, stressing that each Exit of the state car implies a cost of 21 euros to deliver to the Fire Department, the use of ambulances of associations implies an expense of 45 euros per service.
The National Council also decided that the next National Congress of the LBP will be held on November 15 and 16, in Alcobaça.
