The first fortnightly debate in Parliament of 2026 took place this Thursday, with the SNS (National Health Service) and the Health Minister in the spotlight. The opposition questioned the Government about deaths allegedly linked to delays at INEM (the national emergency medical service). Luís Montenegro refused to let the minister fall and assumed political responsibility.
Montenegro backs minister in debate centred on health problems
Thursday, 8 January 2026RSS
RSS source
Context & Explainers
The National Institute of Medical Emergency (Instituto Nacional de Emergência Médica), known as INEM, coordinates Portugal’s pre-hospital emergency care, ambulance dispatch and medical response to 112 calls. It matters to expats because INEM is responsible for ambulance response times and on-scene care — incidents like the reported three-hour wait in Seixal can trigger investigations, affect public confidence and influence how quickly you can expect help in an emergency.
