The Public Prosecutor’s Office closed the investigation into the death of a man, in November 2024, in Pombal, as it was not possible to gather evidence of a causal link between the INEM’s delay and his death.
“(…) It was not possible to gather sufficient evidence to verify a causal link between the delay in INEM’s intervention [Instituto Nacional de Emergência Médica] and death”reads the final order from the Pombal Section of the Department of Investigation and Criminal Action (DIAP), to which the Lusa agency had access this Friday, November 21st.
The General Inspection of Health Activities (IGAS) considered, in June, that the death of the 53-year-old man, during the INEM strike, could have been avoided if he had been helped within a minimum and reasonable time.
According to the final order from the Public Prosecutor’s Office (MP), “as is clear from the clarifications provided by the” National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences, “in view of the great variability in the occurrence and prognosis of an acute myocardial infarction that progressed to a cardiorespiratory arrest, as occurred in the case in question, they do not allow us to safely determine that the possible delay in intervention determined the death” of the victim “or whether such an outcome would have occurred even with a quick intervention”.
“And, since it was not possible to obtain evidence that demonstrates this causal link, the INEM doctors cannot be blamed for the tragic outcome that occurred.”
Thus, “after all relevant and possible steps have been exhausted and, as no other relevant ones are envisaged and taking into account the lack of sufficient evidence regarding the verification of the crime, the decision cannot be other than archiving”, added the MP.
Speaking to the Lusa agency, lawyer Paulo José Rocha, who represents the victim’s family, said he was “surprised by the order, especially after the IGAS conclusions”, admitting that he “wasn’t expecting it”.
“We will definitely request the opening of instruction”, added Paulo José Rocha.
This case dates back to November 4, 2024, the day on which two strikes took place simultaneously – one by pre-hospital emergency technicians working overtime and another by public administration.
IGAS opened investigations to investigate the possible relationship between 12 deaths and the alleged delays in care at the INEM Urgent Patient Guidance Center, having concluded in this case of Pombal that the death could have been avoided.
“It was concluded that the user’s death could have been avoided if assistance had been provided, within a minimum and reasonable time, which would have made it possible to evacuate via a Coronary Greenway to one of the nearest hospitals, where he could have undergone coronary angioplasty in one of the respective Hemodynamic Units”, said IGAS, whose report with the conclusions was sent, among others, to the Pombal Section of DIAP.
It was also sent to INEM, so that the board of directors could decide on the initiation of disciplinary proceedings against a pre-hospital emergency technician, as there was evidence of the practice of infringing conduct in providing aid to the victim, but also on the maintenance of the provision of services to a doctor, due to the “seriousness of the acts carried out in providing aid to the victim”, and on any changes that it considered necessary to the functioning of the Integrated Medical Emergency System.