Firefighters threaten not to use INEM ambulances, if the government does not pay off debts until the 23rd, Wednesday. At issue are late payment of several million euros from the Ministry of Health to corporations.
The Portuguese Firefighters League demanded, this Saturday, the payment, until Wednesday, of the pre-hospital emergency service, threatening Suspend the use of INEM ambulances, during the 25th (Friday).
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, the president of LBP, António NunesHe said there is no payment forecast, so if he continues everything, next Friday, July 25, corporations will refuse to use the ambulances of INEM that are attributed to them, with more costs for the state.
“The Ministry of Health, in particular INEM, is delays in the settlement of services performed by the bodies of firefighters within the pre-hospital 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.
O May has not yet been paid, with reference to April, March and February servicesHe added, although the Ministry of Health communicated to the firefighters that there was an agreement with the Ministry of Finance “for the release of the amounts necessary to pay these services and the regularization of the treasury of humanitarian associations.”
This “has not happened so far and there is no predictable date for it to happen,” added António Nunes.
Firefighters give until Wednesday
In this sense, the LBP National Council 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 they provide all the help with the firefighters’ ambulances, ”explained the LBP leader.
According to António Nunes, This option will not bring damage to the populationsbecause 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, stressing that this option will cost the state more.
“The costs are always from INEM,” he warned, noting 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.
