elpais.com
Portugal Emergency Service Crisis
Portugal's Health Minister faces calls for resignation after 11 patients died due to delays in emergency services during a strike.
Spanish
Spain
PoliticsHuman Rights ViolationsHealthEuropean UnionGovernmentStrikeEmergency
National Institute Of Medical Emergencies (Inem)Public Prosecutor's OfficeAssembly Of The Republic
Ana Paula MartinsLuís MontenegroJoão Paulo Correia
- What is the main issue in this news story?
- Portugal's Health Minister, Ana Paula Martins, faces calls for her resignation following the deaths of 11 patients due to delays in emergency services during a partial strike.
- What investigations are currently underway?
- Investigations are underway by the Public Prosecutor's Office and the National Institute of Medical Emergencies (INEM) to determine if the delays directly caused the deaths and to assess potential negligence.
- What caused the delays in emergency services?
- The delays were caused by a strike of emergency medical technicians protesting against poor working conditions and low salaries, leading to a significant disruption of the 112 emergency line.
- What are the underlying issues contributing to this crisis?
- Opposition parties criticize Martins for failing to prevent the strike's impact despite receiving prior warning, highlighting the long-standing issues of understaffing and poor working conditions within INEM.
- What is the Health Minister's response to calls for her resignation?
- Minister Martins has refused to resign, stating she accepts responsibility for what went wrong at INEM and is committed to reforming the agency to prevent future crises.