IL and Chega today asked for an urgent hearing for former INEM President Victor Almeida, who reneged on his decision to accept the position after his appointment a week ago.
“Given the critical importance of INEM in providing emergency health care and the need to guarantee the continuity and effectiveness of its activities, it is essential that Parliament understands the reasons for this conclusion,” Chega’s request said.
IL, which had previously announced the same initiative, demanding an urgent hearing of the Vitor Almeida case, notes that “the controversies surrounding INEM have been recurring over time, but their aggravation in recent weeks has been noticeable” and that it is “a fundamental body in providing care to the Portuguese population.”
In the request, the Liberals recall that at the hearings of Health Minister Ana Paula Martins, a government official defended the need to “restore INEM.”
Chega also points out in his statement that “the current situation, marked by the direct agreement contracts and the Court of Auditors’ notifications, raises serious concerns about the governance and transparency of the processes in INEM.”
The party “understands that the urgency of this appeal to Parliament is justified by the need to ensure stability and confidence in the leadership of INEM, as well as the importance of ensuring that emergency health care continues to be provided effectively and safely to the population.”
The Health Ministry has appointed doctor Sergio Dias Janeiro as INEM president after the previous candidate, Vitor Almeida, cancelled his decision to accept the position, the ministry announced today.
A statement from the Ministry of Health explained that “in contacts with the authorities last week,” anesthesiologist Vitor Almeida “came to the conclusion that the conditions for assuming the position of President of INEM were not met for professional reasons and given the current context of the Institute.”
In a note published today, the Ministry of Health said that, given the resignation of Vitor Almeida, it had decided to appoint doctor Sergio Agostinho Dias Janeiro on a 60-day basis due to a vacancy in the position.
The ministry said it would now announce a competition with the Commission for the Recruitment and Selection of Personnel for Public Administration (CReSAP).
Vitor Almeida was appointed president of INEM on July 4 after Luis Meira resigned from the post over a dispute over the tender for emergency medical helicopters.
Luis Meira resigned on July 1 after trading accusations over competition for air transport services for patients.
The Ministry of Health criticised INEM the day before for allowing the deadline for the international public tender for the purchase of helicopters to expire, forcing the company to issue a new direct contract.
In response, INEM guaranteed that it would “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.”
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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