Portugal INEM restructures, drops regional North, Centre and South delegations

Portugal's National Emergency Medical Institute (INEM) has approved a new organic law that removes the regional delegations for the North, Centre and South, consolidating the institute as a central body headquartered in Lisbon. The decree, published in the Diário da República and promulgated on 7 July, keeps the four urgent patient guidance centres (CODU) at their current poles and promises to "reinforce the presence of support services in Porto, Coimbra and Algarve with the hiring of more professionals".

The reform expands the governing board from two to four members – adding a clinical director and a nursing director – and replaces the technical‑scientific commission with a broader advisory council that includes representatives from the health service, medical and nursing orders, the firefighters league and the Red Cross. Funding remains based on state budget transfers and 2.5 % of insurance premiums, with new provisions for long‑term financial sustainability and system interoperability, including the use of artificial intelligence for resource management.