The Union of Pre-Hospital Emergency Technicians (STEPH) today retreated from joining Thursday’s general strike, following the guarantee from the Minister of Health that the agreement signed with the Government and INEM will be fulfilled.
After meeting with Ana Paula Martins, the union president told Lusa that “the extraordinary reason” that had recently led STEPH to announce its adherence to the strike has been resolved, but INEM pre-hospital emergency technicians (TEPH) “are free” to join Thursday’s general strike in protest against the labor package.
Last week, STEPH decided to join the general strike, a decision taken “unanimously” and which resulted, above all, from the breach of the agreement signed in August with the Government and the National Institute of Medical Emergency (INEM).
This agreement provided for the application of clinical performance protocols that, according to the union structure, “would translate into better care for citizens”.
“At this meeting, the minister reinforced her commitment to complying with this memorandum of understanding, including maintaining the same deadlines. She maintains the intention to be until the end of the year, especially since the work is practically all done”, said Rui Lázaro.
“In view of this, we retreated in our adherence to the strike, taking into account that now pre-hospital emergency technicians no longer have this extraordinary reason” to participate in the strike, said the union leader.
The clinical protocols, planned since 2016 and which received a favorable opinion from the Medical Association, include the application of some drugs in life-threatening situations for citizens.
Since August, protocols in the areas of anaphylaxis, convulsions and sepsis have been implemented, with those for responding to pain and convulsions remaining to be implemented.
Without TEPH being able to apply these protocols, these actions would have to be developed only by doctors or nurses who are in the most differentiated response means (vehicles).
On Friday, INEM announced that the minimum services for the general strike had been defined and expressed its conviction that pre-hospital emergency technicians would guarantee that no emerging situation would go unanswered.