Health Minister refuses to link patient's death to INEM strike

The Minister of Health today denied a direct link between the death of the Bragança patient and the strike by INEM technicians at the end of 2024, reiterating that she will not give up on solving the problems.

In a statement to journalists, without the right to questions, Ana Paula Martins said that she asked the Inspector General of Health Activities for the full report regarding the case of the 86-year-old patient, who died of a myocardial infarction on October 31, 2024.

According to the report from the General Inspectorate of Health Activities (IGAS), the man had a chance of survival, albeit a reduced one.

Early this evening, at the Ministry of Health (Lisbon), the minister argued that “the report does not make a direct link between this death and the strike”.

“The report states that the victim's clinical condition – and I quote again: 'makes it impossible, under these circumstances, to establish a causal link between the delay in care by the CODU [Urgent Patient Guidance Center] and the death that occurred',” he stated.

However, the minister acknowledged that "there were clear delays in response and, therefore, in the provision of assistance." She also admitted that the lack of a "causal link" is not reassuring the government, stating that the "malfunction will not happen again."

"Every day, INEM receives an average of 4,434 calls and provides assistance to 4,100 people. Of these, nearly 800 are critically ill and are considered top priority. Drawing political conclusions from similar situations means, as I've always said, solving the problems and not throwing in the towel," he emphasized.