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Inside INEM: how Portugal handles emergencies

Saturday, 10 January 2026AI summary
Inside INEM: how Portugal handles emergencies

Update: A CNN feature gives an inside look at the National Institute of Medical Emergency (Instituto Nacional de Emergência Médica or INEM), showing call handling and front-line response procedures. Combined with earlier reporting that a planned ambulance purchase was delayed, the coverage highlights operational pressures and procurement shortfalls that can affect response times. For expats, the pieces explain how emergency calls are triaged and why response capacity can vary regionally.

Context & Explainers

What is INEM?

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.

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