Former Health Minister Manuel Pizarro stated on Wednesday that, upon handing over his portfolio, he had warned of the urgent need to address the situation with emergency medical helicopters.
He emphasized that immediate action was required and believed there was no other solution than to increase the base value of the tender.
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Heard by the Parliamentary Health Committee on INEM, at the request of the PSD, Manuel Pizarro said he highlighted the need to revise the resolution of the council of ministers. This resolution defines the competition’s values.
Market Consultations and Outcomes
He emphasized the importance of increasing the base value since the January competition was deserted. He said:
I’m even curious to know what alternative solutions will be found. Some of them, from what I’ve read, are quite remarkable.
The former government official explained that the Government and INEM consulted with the market. They were confident that the authorized 60% increase in value would be enough to attract a company. However, the outcome of the January competition proved otherwise.
Court of Auditors’ Position
Recalling the position of the Court of Auditors on this decision he said:
With no decision by the end of June [when the previous contract ended], Dr. Luis Meira [former president of INEM] decided on direct adjustment.
In August, the Court of Auditors approved a direct agreement with the company Avincis. The contract, valued at 12 million euros, is valid for one year and covers the supply of emergency helicopters.
However, it also sent a message to the supervisory authority, urging them to allocate the necessary funds for the agreement.
Financial Responsibility and Future Options
By approving the direct agreement, the Court absolved INEM of any responsibility in this process. Additionally, it issued a warning to the Ministry of Health.
The Ministry was urged to ensure that, in the future, INEM has the necessary financial resources to launch a tender with prices aligned with market values. Manuel Pizarro, addressing the future options, expressed certainty that increasing the base value of the tender is necessary. He emphasized,
The 2024 competition demonstrated that the market does not offer a solution for the current value.
Perspectives on Pandemic Funding
He stated regarding the alternatives for ensuring emergency air transport that the media have reported, including the possibility of collaboration with the Air Force, and added:
I would be surprised if they were to work, but what matters is to serve the interests of the Portuguese people.
When asked whether he found it acceptable to transfer 90 million euros from INEM in 2020 to combat the pandemic, Pizarro stated that considering the circumstances, he deemed the decision very acceptable.
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There is nothing abnormal. The pandemic was something that none of us had ever faced in our lives, said the former minister. He pointed out that, in 2020, the country faced budgetary circumstances that were not as calm as those in 2023 or even 2024, when officials expect a surplus.
Emergency Medical Helicopters in Portugal: Financial Situation of INEM
Furthermore, he stressed that the request for balances carried over from INEM for protective equipment during the pandemic is in accordance with the rules.
He recalled that the State Budget can replace these amounts at any time concerning the request for funds. Regarding INEM’s financial situation, he noted that the revenue collected by the institute has increased significantly in recent years.
The revenue rose from around six million euros in 2020/2021 to four million in 2021/2022, reaching 8.6 million in 2022/2023. He stressed:
It increased by 20% over the aggregate of these six years.
Defending INEM’s Quality of Work
Moreover, Pizarro expressed that he does not agree with the negative analysis surrounding the quality of INEM’s work. He highlighted that the institute’s activity in 2023 was the greatest ever.
In that year, the Urgent Patient Guidance Centers (CODU) answered over 1.5 million calls and activated 1,422,055 resources. This averages out to 3,896 resources activated per day. He concluded by saying:
I deny that the quality of INEM’s work can be called into question, which does not mean that there are no problems and things that need to be improved, but the image that we have a poor emergency system is contradicted by the numbers.
