INEM workers criticize the government for lack of funds to pay firefighters

The workers' committee of the National Institute of Medical Emergencies (INEM) warned this Saturday that the institute cannot be used as a "political weapon" due to the lack of funds to pay firefighters who use the organization's ambulances.

"Firefighters legitimately await payment of what is owed to them. (...) To date, the Ministries of Finance and Public Administration have not responded or provided the necessary financial resources [to INEM] to resolve this situation," the workers stated in a statement.

The INEM workers' committee's reaction follows a statement, announced today, by the Portuguese Firefighters League, in protest against delays in payments by the Ministry of Health for the use of ambulances.

The Portuguese Firefighters League has demanded that the government pay the pre-hospital emergency service debts by Wednesday. Otherwise, next Friday, July 25th, the fire departments will refuse to use the INEM ambulances assigned to them, resulting in increased costs for the state.

"The Ministry of Health, particularly INEM, is experiencing delays in paying for services provided by fire departments in pre-hospital emergencies, and this is creating many difficulties for humanitarian associations. Although INEM intends to make these payments, this has not happened," the league's president, António Nunes, told Lusa.

The INEM workers' committee blames the Government for not yet having released the management balance or made a budgetary increase to resolve "the current impasse" and stressed that the institute "cannot — and should not — be used as a political weapon, nor as a scapegoat to justify future structural changes or alterations to the financing model."

According to the Portuguese Firefighters League, if the government fails to make the outstanding payment, firefighters will provide assistance using the corporation's ambulances.

According to António Nunes, this option will not harm the population, because humanitarian associations have enough ambulances of their own to provide pre-hospital care.

"The costs are always borne by INEM," he warned, highlighting that each departure of the state vehicle involves a cost of 21 euros to be given to the fire department, while the use of the associations' ambulances involves an expense of 45 euros per service.