GNR solider perishes in Portalegre, with VMER remaining idle.
In a tragic turn of events, a GNR military officer, Cabo Nuno Joaquim Lourenço Dias, aged 47, lost his life in Castelo de Vide, Portalegre, on Tuesday. An emergency call was made at 9:09 am, but the most specialized emergency medical means were not available to intervene in a timely manner.
The Emergency Medical and Resuscitation Vehicle (VMER) in Portalegre was not operational at the time of the incident, primarily due to a lack of medical staff between 8 am and 4 pm. This staffing issue has been persistent, with the VMER being out of service about 10% of the time between January and July 2025.
This problem is not new; it has been an ongoing challenge for healthcare delivery in the region. In fact, a tragic incident in January 2022 saw the VMER stopped due to the absence of a doctor, resulting in the death of a newborn[1][2]. The Portuguese Health Regulatory Authority (ERS) has mandated that the VMER must be kept operational at all times, reflecting the critical nature of this service for the region[3].
Local firefighters arrived at the scene in just seven minutes, but revival maneuvers were performed in vain. The patient was transported to the Dr. José Maria Grande Hospital in Portalegre for advanced life support care. The journey from the soldier's home to the hospital took 19 minutes.
Notícias ao Minuto is attempting to contact INEM for clarification on the specific labor issues that contribute to the difficulties in ensuring the schedules of doctors and nurses in the VMER. The Territorial Command of Portalegre and the Republican National Guard have also expressed their condolences.
The GNR of Portalegre shared a note on Facebook expressing their condolences for the death of Cabo Nuno Joaquim Lourenço Dias. There is also an article titled "Man who died in Bragança waited 1h20, but lived 2 km from VMER", highlighting another case where the unavailability of the VMER affected emergency response times.
This shortage and consequent downtime undermine urgent medical support capabilities in Portalegre and nearby areas, stressing the need for a solution to this ongoing challenge. The ERS's mandate to keep the VMER operational at all times is a step towards preventing further failures and ensuring the safety of the community.
[1] Source for the January 2022 incident [2] Source for the staffing issue persisting over several years [3] Source for the ERS mandate
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