The “call first, save lives” program, to reduce pressure in emergencies, has not yet been implemented in all local health units due to lack of capacity on the SNS 24 line, acknowledged this Wednesday, December 10, the executive director of the SNS.
In a hearing at the parliamentary Health committee, at the request of the PS bench, Álvaro Almeida said that the program is in force in 27 of the 39 local health units (ULS), the number that the Shared Services of the Ministry of Health (SPMS) considered the line had the capacity to support.
When it reached 27 ULS, “it was understood by the SPMS and by the Executive Management that there would be no capacity to continue expanding the program”, admitted the person responsible for the entity that manages the network of National Health Service (SNS) units.
To the deputies, Álvaro Almeida also mentioned that the Executive Board would like to be able to extend the “call first, save lives” program to the entire country, considering that the measure helps to make better use of healthcare, but “operational difficulties require” the program to be maintained at the 27 ULS.
The program, which began as a pilot project at ULS Póvoa do Varzim-Vila do Conde and was gradually extended to other ULS, has made it possible to “significantly alleviate the functioning” of hospital emergencies, by guiding users to the most appropriate level of care, he highlighted.