Nuno Melo criticises reports “not in national interest”
Minister of Defence Nuno Melo has reacted to news that the country only has one military helicopter authorised for nighttime medical emergency transport, insisting that a second chopper will be available ‘soon’.
Melo made the announcement, claiming “anyone who wants to diminish what is really so virtuous will have some explanation. It is not in the national interest”.
The truth however, is that it is the current picture.
As SIC Notícias recalls, the government announced that as of July 1, emergency aeromedical transport would be provided 24 hours a day by four helicopters of the Portuguese Air Force (FAP) – complementing the service of the two helicopters immediately made available by the company that won the public tender.
But, this was not the case. Only one of the Air Force helicopters is authorised to fly night missions, and the ‘company that won the public tender’ did so without possessing any helicopters or pilots.
As a result, there is a degree of making up to do.
Expresso’s story on this situation did not mention, however, the two Air Force planes that can fly at night – and these Nuno Melo referred to during an event in Figueira da Foz yesterday.
He told reporters that the Air Force currently has one helicopter in Beja authorised to operate between 05:00 and 21:30; a helicopter and two planes in Montijo that operate 24 hours a day and a helicopter in Ovar for the period between 05:00 and 21:30.
Ovar will ‘soon have another helicopter that will be able to operate 24 hours a day’, said the minister, neglecting to give any further details.
“What the Air Force does is done with rigour and competence, but also with experience. The Cruz de Cristo has been crossing the skies of Madeira and the Azores for many years,” he added, referring to the emergency aeromedical transport provided in the archipelagos.
Commenting specifically on the Expresso story – “which he dismissed”, in the words of SIC – he said the Air Force also uses aeroplanes, and is “helping to save lives”.
“Anyone who wants to diminish what is really so virtuous will certainly have some explanation. It’s not in the national interest,” he said.
Source material: SIC Notícias
