In September, the Health Minister will be heard in Parliament about the situation at INEM, and this Friday the PS will accuse the PSD of preventing the urgent hearing of the Ana Paula Martins case next week.
After the meeting of the Health Commission, Socialist MP João Paulo Correia said that “the PSD has prevented the hearing of the Minister of Health next week”, a date that, according to him, deserves the agreement of the other parties.
Therefore, Ana Paula Martins’ trip to parliament was planned for September.
“The PS deeply regrets the decision of the SDP not to allow the Minister of Health to be heard” in the coming days, stressed the coordinator of the PS board in the Health Commission.
João Paulo Correia also believes that the documentation presented to MPs this week by former INEM President Luis Meira proves that the institute’s previous board of directors “persistently presented solutions” for a new international public tender aimed at providing emergency medical helicopter services.
“This contradicts the Minister of Health, who on June 30 publicly stated that INEM had never proposed a solution to an international public tender,” said the Socialist MP, for whom there is also “an iron hand in the government between the areas of Defense and Health” about the possible involvement of the Air Force in emergency air transport.
In a clarification sent to Lusa on the same day, the Ministry of Health clarified that INEM could launch a public tender for air transport services for patients based on the 2023 Council of Ministers decree, avoiding a new direct adjustment to the service from July 1.
At that time, the Ministry assured that it had asked questions several times to the previous board of directors of INEM regarding the emergency helicopter transport service, but the Institute “never presented a solution” in accordance with the Council of Ministers’ resolution of October 2023, which authorized the expenses related to the launch of a new public tender for the period 2024-2028.
In parliament on Wednesday, Luis Meira accused the Health Ministry of negligence in the matter of concluding the helicopter service contract, saying it had failed to help the institute resolve the situation.
The former head of INEM also handed over to the President of the Health Commission a dossier “with all the evidence and all the contacts” between INEM and the guardianship of this process and assured that following the meetings that took place on June 24 and 25, he received “absolute silence” from the ministry.
The INEM board of directors, chaired by Luís Meira, submitted its resignation to the Minister of Health on July 1, citing “abuse of trust in the current trusteeship,” a request that was accepted by Ana Paula Martins.
That day, INEM concluded a new contract with the current operator by direct agreement to guarantee the continuity of service of four ambulance helicopters: two medium, operating 24 hours a day, and two light, operating only during the day, in addition to what had already been happening since January 1.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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