The League of Portuguese Firefighters (LBP) demanded this Saturday, December 13th, the immediate payment of the debt of 30 million euros to corporations regarding the transport of urgent patients to hospitals and asked to be heard in any reform of the sector.
At the end of an LBP National Council that took place in Felgueiras, the president of the institution, António Nunes, criticized the delays of three and a half months in funds to pay for medical emergency ambulances parked at fire stations.
“We demand the immediate payment of the approximately 30 million euros that the Ministry of Health and INEM (National Institute of Medical Emergency) owe to the humanitarian firefighters associations and we consider it unacceptable that the fixed expenses for September, October and November are not paid,” António Nunes told Lusa.
According to the director, “firefighters are the privileged partners of medical emergencies in Portugal, carrying out more than 90% of the transport of urgent and emergent patients to hospitals” and the agreements entered into must be respected.
“For the first time in the transport of urgent patients this situation is occurring, until now there were delays that could last for a month, but it was not a problem. Now we have not received payment since September”, he explained, highlighting that it is “a reimbursement for expenses” already incurred.
“The associations have already paid for fuel, insurance, repairs and salaries for the permanent teams”, he said.
For the league, “it is unacceptable that the State wants the firefighters to be financing the State itself in matters that have predictability, as is this case”.
António Nunes considers that this delay constitutes “a destabilizing factor for associations, creates constraints and even complicates the relationship between communities and associations, because leaders always have to look for miraculous solutions to finance the structures”.
“If the State knows that it has to pay every month to have an ambulance available 24 hours a day in a certain location, then it has to pay”, he explained.
These funds have an impact on corporate personnel and, depending on the number of existing ambulances, delays affect the budget, representing 10 to 50% in some cases.
“Each association has its own characteristics. It all depends on the size and services”, explained António Nunes.
At the National Council, the firefighters also argued that the league should be heard by the guardianship, if reform is carried out in the pre-hospital emergency sector in Portugal.
“Any process of reevaluation or reform of the system must have the opinion of the League of Portuguese Firefighters as a representative of these associations”, so “we demand to be on any committee in order to support a better solution that better satisfies the interests of the populations”, said António Nunes.
In recent weeks, “we have heard several unofficial or semi-official communications from various entities and from several leaders of the Ministry of Health about changes to the system. Now, the issue is critical enough for the process not to be carried out like this”, warned the president.
For LBP, “what we must do is gather the necessary information and then take action, listening to partners”.
“We cannot systematically hear that there will be a refoundation or new work methodologies, but those who transport 1.2 million users to the emergency room must be heard”, because “any change has implications for the fire departments”, said António Nunes.
And he gave the example of a possible closure of an emergency room in a location that could involve contracting a new ambulance because the distances are greater and require more time for each service.
“Any change must be made by listening to everyone. In the end, the Government will decide what it understands, but until then it cannot allow loose sentences from leaders who put everything into question”, he concluded.