ZAP
The victim called INEM at 11:20 am. The Mixed Firefighters of the Municipality of Seixal were only contacted by CODU at 1:15 pm.
Os firemen closest to helping the patient who died in Seixal received a call from CODU at 1:15 p.m. requesting an ambulance without specifying the incident or location, the president of the Seixal Fire Department told Lusa.
According to Bento Brázio Romeiro, in the timeline of the occurrence, between 11:20 am and 2:09 pm, the Humanitarian Association of Mixed Firefighters of the Municipality of Seixal, district of Setúbal, received only this contact from the Urgent Patients Guidance Center (CODU) and the corporation indicated that there was no availability of ambulances.
However, he added, in this contact made at 1:15 p.m. The reason for the request nor the location of the incident were mentioned.
A man on Tuesday in Seixal after almost three hours waiting for help from INEM, confirmed the Union of Pre-Hospital Emergency Technicians, admitting that the new triage system may have influenced the outcome.
Lusa had access to the time tape of this case, which shows that the 78-year-old man called for the first time to ask for help from INEM at 11:20 am on Tuesday, with this situation being classified as priority 3 – which provides for the activation of resources in 60 minutes -, but only The medical vehicle was sent at 2:09 pm, almost three hours later.
The time tape records, at 11:23 am, that the victim had made a is left over, appearing agitated, confused, drowsy and prostrate.
Despite having been considered a priority 3 situation, more than an hour later, at 12:48 pm, the tape indicates that the Seixal Red Cross did not have an ambulance, that the Almada and Seixal ambulances were busy and, at 1:29 pm, there was a second call to INEM questioning the delay in resources.
At 2:05 pm there was a new call and it was reported that the victim was in cardiorespiratory arrest and at 2:09 pm Almada’s medical vehicle was sent, which remained free.
Contacted by Lusa, the Almada-Seixal Local Health Unit responded that it “will not comment until the conclusions are known” of the investigation process opened by the General Inspectorate of Health Activities (IGAS).
In the same written note, the Almada-Seixal Local Health Unit “deeply regrets the recorded death and extends its heartfelt condolences to the family.”
The president of INEM, Luís Mendes Cabral, had already said that the institute activated emergency assistance within 15 minutes, but there were no ambulances available.
The Pre-Hospital Emergency Technicians Union warns that the new triage system was responsible.
The president of the League of Portuguese Firefighters, António Nunes, comments that only today (Thursday) morning will he meet with the president of INEM to find out the rules – that is, the firefighters don’t even know how the new system workshe claims.
