Portimão: Municipality offers new portable ultrasound machine to VMER do Barlavento

The Algarve Local Health Unit ( ULS ) reinforced, on Thursday, July 31, the operational capacity of the Barlavento Medical Emergency and Resuscitation Vehicle (VMER), allocated to the Hospital do Barlavento Algarvio, thanks to the donation of new equipment by the Portimão City Council, as part of the close collaboration between both entities.

The equipment donated by the Portimão municipality consists of a set of PAX suitcases, suitable for organizing and transporting emergency supplies, and a portable ultrasound machine, an extremely useful instrument for pre-hospital clinical assessment and improving medical decision-making in an emergency context.

During the equipment handover ceremony, which took place at the Portimão Volunteer Fire Department building, the Chairman of the Board of Directors, Tiago Botelho, expressed his gratitude for the fact that "the Portimão municipality, represented by its Mayor Álvaro Bila, was sensitive to the request made by healthcare professionals, which materializes from a practical point of view in improving the working conditions of our professionals", but also in demonstrating proximity and mutual assistance between institutions.

Álvaro Bila, Mayor of Portimão, dedicated his first words to the INEM professionals, recognizing their work and effort, demonstrating a willingness to collaborate in whatever way necessary to improve the provision of care in the municipality.

Regarding the new equipment, Dr. João Coucelo, director of the Emergency Department at Hospital do Barlavento Algarvio, highlights the fact that these bags allow for "better organization and, consequently, earlier diagnoses and guidance, and thus the anticipation of care and actions."

Jorge Mimoso, a physician at the Barlavento Regional Medical Center (VMER), also notes that having a portable ultrasound machine "means keeping up with the times. With these cases, we're taking a huge step forward in terms of organizing our equipment, including its sustainability, as well as improving ergonomics for our professionals."

Also present at the ceremony were the clinical director for Hospital Healthcare at ULS Algarve, Ana Paula Gonçalves, nurse José Vieira dos Santos and nurse Paula Franco, as well as councillors José Pedro Cardoso and Sandra Pereira from the Portimão municipality and Luís Mestre, Commander of the Portimão Fire Department and Municipal Coordinator of Civil Protection.

This partnership between ULS Algarve and Portimão City Council reinforces the quality of care provided in pre-hospital settings, benefiting not only emergency professionals but, above all, patients.