Government says INEM report reinforces need to re-establish institute

In a statement, the Ministry of Health recalls that the report of the General Inspectorate of Finance ( IGF ) concerns the operation of INEM in the four-year period 2021/2024 and is related to an inspection requested by the Minister of Health and determined by the government last January.

The report, published by the newspaper Público, states that INEM failed to monitor helicopter flight hours and that the State risks paying more.

The audit, which covered the period of the presidency of Luís Meira, who resigned in July 2024 following the previous direct adjustment made for the helitransport service, concluded that there was a lack of "mechanisms established for control and automatic recording, or otherwise, of the hours actually flown by each air vehicle."

In the note released today, the Ministry of Health emphasizes that for several years there has been no investment or interest in modernizing INEM and assuming its true vocation as a regulator, coordinator of the Urgent Patient Guidance Center (CODU) and financier of the network that operates the land and air response resources.

"This report reinforces what the government has already stated on several occasions. It highlights several flaws within INEM that are detrimental to the State, flaws that the Minister of Health had previously acknowledged when announcing the need to refound the institute," the statement said.

In the note, the Ministry of Health highlights several problems encountered, such as the use of direct adjustments for helitransportation, the lack of renewal of the vehicle fleet since 2015, the freezing of the personnel map, budget execution below 10% and the lack of adaptation of digital solutions to needs.

It also highlights the fact that the contractual relationship with partners is not properly monitored, nor is it financed by INEM, with regard to its inoperabilities.

Regarding heliportation, it also highlights the lack of studies to support the choice of base locations, as well as the lack of control and monitoring of the services provided, "given the high investment of public funds."

The government recalls that, in November 2024, INEM became directly dependent on the Minister of Health and, before that, in July of the same year, the General Inspectorate of Health Activities (IGAS) was asked to audit the legality, regularity, economic and financial correctness of the operations inherent to the development of INEM's activity.

This IGAS report, published in April 2025, already highlighted serious flaws, particularly in the training of Pre-Hospital Emergency Technicians.

The government considers that both documents – from the IGF and IGAS – “are important pieces for the re-foundation of INEM”, saying that this will move forward as soon as the report of the Independent Technical Commission (CTI) appointed in March to study, analyze and frame the legal competences of the institute is completed.

It also states that the CTI has already requested access to the IGF report and emphasizes that, given the importance of the Integrated Medical Emergency System (SIEM) in assisting citizens who are victims of accidents or serious sudden illnesses, "it has always been the government's objective to make a detailed diagnosis of the situation, in order to be able to reform INEM."

"This is, without a doubt, the State's first reform in the area of health and the most urgent and priority for the Portuguese people," he concludes.

Photo: Bruno Filipe Pires