This Sunday, INEM guaranteed that it will “ensure the continuity of the emergency medical helicopter service through a new contract concluded with the current operator, within the amount approved by the previous government in October 2023.”
In a clarification also sent to Lusa, the Ministry of Health stated that INEM could launch a public tender for air transport services for patients based on the 2023 Council of Ministers decree, avoiding the extension of the direct contract.
In a statement released late on Sunday, the National Institute of Medical Emergencies (INEM) said that “it will ensure the continuity of the helicopter emergency medical service through a new contract concluded with the current operator, within the authorized cost established by the previous government in October 2023 (RCM – Council of Ministers Resolution No. 133/2023 of 25 October) and with a unit consisting of four aircraft, two medium aircraft operating 24 hours and two light aircraft operating 12 hours, according to the service that will be provided from 1 January 2024.”
INEM also reports that the public tender for the leasing of aviation assets and the acquisition of services for the operation, continued airworthiness management and maintenance of aircraft “was effectively launched in January 2024 by the SPMS – Joint Services of the Ministry of Health (as provided in with reference to the RCM) , and received proposals from two companies, both of which were worth significantly more than the basic tender price of 12 million euros/year.”
In this regard, “INEM began in April 2024 the procedures for launching a new international public tender, presenting to the trusteeship consistent and persistent proposals for a new RCM, always emphasizing the urgency and the need for rapid decision-making.” . solution”.
Moreover, he adds, “it would not make sense to announce a new public tender with conditions identical to the previous one, which were the conditions sanctioned by the previous government”, given that “these conditions have already shown that they do not meet market requirements, as also evidenced by several consultations carried out by the Institute with various operators and communicated to the guardianship authorities”.
INEM recalls that the contract, which expires this Sunday, “was concluded with the only operator that was available to provide the service, but without the possibility of guaranteeing a device with four aircraft operating 24 hours a day.”
Given the constraints that have arisen, “it is necessary to reduce the operating hours of two of the four helicopters providing emergency medical services from the beginning of 2024,” he continues, adding that “the direct contract was approved by the Audit Office in May 2024.”
Now, “in the absence of any response from the authorities that would allow a new international public tender to be announced, the only alternative to not awarding a new contract by direct award would be for the country to stop relying on this service, which would be unacceptable.”
Moreover, “INEM has never been consulted on the possibility of the Armed Forces intervening in the helicopter transport process in case of emergency medical care, so it still does not know how or whether such a contribution can be achieved,” the organization states.
“Within the current situation and the powers of the INEM Board of Directors, the Institute has done and will continue to do everything to always protect the public interest and guarantee the continuity of the helicopter ambulance service in the best possible conditions,” he concludes.
“From April 2 until this Sunday, INEM has not announced any international public tender for the acquisition of the services in question. We do not understand the reasons,” the Ministry of Health said in a clarification sent to Lusa.
Also according to the Ministry of Health, the government asked the INEM board of directors several times about the emergency helicopter transport service, knowing that the direct agreement in force expired on June 30, but the institute “never submitted a solution” within the RCM October 2023, which authorizes the costs associated with the launch of a new public tender for the period 2024-2028.