Social Network Service (SNS) held accountable for the delay in patient transfer, as per INEM's assertion

Social Network Service (SNS) held accountable for the delay in patient transfer, as per INEM's assertion

In a recent incident, a patient with a cranial trauma was transferred from Covilhã Hospital to Coimbra Hospital, a journey that took more than five hours. This prolonged wait has raised concerns about the efficiency of ambulance services in Portugal, particularly between regional hospitals.

According to statements from both the Serviço Nacional de Saúde (SNS) and the Instituto Nacional de Emergência Médica (INEM), the responsibility for this delay lies with INEM, which manages emergency medical transport services. The SNS indicated that the delay was a result of INEM's failure to provide timely ambulance support, reflecting challenges in resource allocation and coordination of emergency response vehicles.

INEM acknowledged the delay and cited high demand and logistical constraints as contributing factors, but ultimately accepted accountability for the incident. The executive director of the SNS, Álvaro Almeida, emphasized that any transfer should be made in the shortest possible time.

This delay highlights systemic issues in ambulance service capacity and the need for improved efficiency in patient transfers between hospitals in Portugal, particularly between regional hospitals such as those in Covilhã and Coimbra. Both SNS and INEM have been called upon to review protocols and ensure that similar delays do not recur in the future, to protect patient safety and care continuity.

It is important to note that the contract for the emergency medical helicopter service of the INEM, which was signed following an international public tender, is not a responsibility of the executive direction, as stated by Álvaro Almeida. Furthermore, the contract for this service has no connection to the case of the 49-year-old patient with a cranial trauma.

In complex situations, patients may need to be transferred to more specialized hospitals, as Álvaro Almeida asserted. The executive director of the SNS also stated that there are different levels of hospital care. The patient's emergency room entry was in Coimbra Hospital, marking the end of the delayed transfer.

Álvaro Almeida denied any responsibility for the transfer of the patient in question, clarifying that the executive direction of the SNS is not responsible for the transfer of patients. The ambulance transport for the Covilhã-Coimbra route is typically 1 hour and 30 minutes, as per the provided context. The statement about the transfer duration was made by Álvaro Almeida in an interview with CNN.

This incident serves as a reminder of the importance of efficient hospital transport services in ensuring patient safety and care continuity. Both SNS and INEM are working towards addressing the systemic issues and improving the efficiency of ambulance services in Portugal.

Science and health-and-wellness news outlets have reported on the prolonged ambulance transfer of a patient with cranial trauma from Covilhã Hospital to Coimbra Hospital, highlighting general-news concerns about the efficiency of ambulance services in Portugal. The medical-conditions incident has prompted both the Serviço Nacional de Saúde (SNS) and the Instituto Nacional de Emergência Médica (INEM) to review protocols and strive for improvements in ambulance service capacity to protect patient safety and care continuity.

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