Social Network Service (SNS) transfers accountability to the National Insurance Institute of Mexico (INEM)
In an unusual incident, a 49-year-old patient with a head injury faced a delay of more than five hours during their transfer from Covilhã Hospital to the University Hospitals of Coimbra, located in Coimbra, Portugal. The reason behind this delay remains unclear, as search results do not provide any information regarding the cause or the responsible parties for contracting the emergency medical helicopter service in this case.
Typically, delays in emergency medical helicopter transfers in Portugal can be attributed to factors such as the availability of transport resources, weather conditions, the clinical stability of the patient, and administrative protocols. However, without specific details, it is impossible to determine the exact reason for this particular delay.
The Instituto Nacional de Emergência Médica (INEM), Portugal's national body for emergency medical services, is responsible for contracting services related to the emergency medical helicopter. The contracting is usually done by INEM or through the Ministry of Health, which oversees emergency medical services in the country.
Rui Lázaro, the president of the syndicate of pre-hospital emergency technicians, has accused that the tender for the emergency medical air service was started too late, potentially contributing to the delay in this case. He also suggested that the Air Force helicopters should be relocated to the interior of the country for improved service provision.
In response, Álvaro Almeida, the executive director of the National Health Service (NHS), emphasized that hospital transfers are not the responsibility of the executive direction. He also stated that the contract for the INEM's emergency medical helicopter service is not under the remit of the NHS executive direction.
The public tender for the emergency medical air service was awarded to Gulf Med Aviation Services Limited at the end of March. Lusa, a Portuguese news agency, contacted the press offices of the INEM and the Ministry of Health, but had not yet received a response regarding this incident.
Álvaro Almeida was interviewed by CNN about the patient transfer incident, but details of the interview have not been publicly disclosed. The Government and the INEM have not issued any official statement regarding the delay in the transfer of the patient from Covilhã Hospital to the University Hospitals of Coimbra. The incident occurred on Saturday.
What could have potentially contributed to the delay in the transfer of the patient from Covilhå Hospital to the University Hospitals of Coimbra, located in Coimbra, Portugal, might be the late start of the public tender for the emergency medical air service, according to Rui Lázaro, the president of the syndicate of pre-hospital emergency technicians. Yet, the science behind the impact of medical-conditions and health-and-wellness on delays in emergency medical helicopter transfers remains unexplored and merits further study.
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