League of Portuguese Firefighters presents its own solutions to mounting problems
The League of Portuguese Firefighters (LBP) is delivering a letter of protest to the Ministry of Health today to challenge the lack of measures to respond to constraints in hospital emergency rooms and the financial problems in patient transport.
The letter will be delivered to the Ministry of Health at 11am in the presence of the presidents of district fire brigade federations, association leaders and volunteer fire brigade commanders.
In a statement, the LBP says the letter lists “all the constraints” they have been experiencing, particularly financial regarding pre-hospital rescue and patient transport missions.
It “regrets the lack of answers from health ministry” over ambulance shortages – due principally to the deep-rooted problems in hospital emergency departments – and suggests some of its own. Thus the letter is more than a simple act of protest; it puts forward a set of solutions to mitigate the consequences of A&E closures and suggests a way of reformulating the terms of patient transport and rescue (so that firefighting stations are actually paid).
Says Lusa, the LBP stresses that because of A&E department closures, firefighters are “confronted every day with instructions to move patients and casualties dozens of kilometres from the hospital of reference”, and this implicates rising costs which, up till now, are not being compensated.
Source: LUSA
