Portugal's pre‑hospital emergency technicians protest INEM reorganisation

Pre‑hospital emergency technicians in Portugal will stage a protest on Wednesday in front of the Assembleia da República from 10:00 to 17:00. The demonstration, organised by the Sindicato dos Técnicos de Emergência Pré‑Hospitalar (STEPH), follows a vigil and a manifesto delivered to the Ministry of Health that criticised the government's plan to restructure the Instituto Nacional de Emergência Médica (INEM).

The minister of health, Ana Paula Martins, said the new organic law will give INEM the status of a public institute with a special regime, allowing greater flexibility and remuneration. STEPH argues the reforms will cut the number of ambulances, reduce transport capacity and training, and open urgent transport to private entities lacking adequate qualification. The union demands that the number of INEM ambulances dedicated to pre‑hospital emergencies be maintained and increased, that the institute's operational mission be preserved, and that professional training be strengthened.

STEPH also announced its intention to join a general strike scheduled for 3 June. Former INEM presidents have signed a letter expressing concerns about the reforms, citing potential loss of emergency medical vehicles, a shift of basic emergency care to fire services and the Red Cross, and the risk of gradual privatisation of a public service.