The Regional Secretary for Health stated today in Horta that all rules and procedures will be implemented to increasingly reinforce the effectiveness of the Air Evacuation Unit in the Azores.
"There are improvements to be made to the system, improvements in communication and improvements in procedures, thus reinforcing what needs to be solved," said Rui Luís, who spoke at the Legislative Assembly.
Alluding to the air evacuations that occurred on February 2, 2017, the government official reiterated that it was a situation that did not go well, among thousands of evacuations that went well before and after that date.
The Regional Secretary assured that a reflection will be made together with the professionals involved in this area, namely the Azores Regional Civil Protection and Fire Service, health centres and the Air Evacuation Unit, to reinforce measures to be implemented in the system.
The Secretary for Health noted that it is his responsibility to intervene when a particular service is not working and address the situation.
"Sometimes, when things are not working, the Secretary has to take action and will continue to do so," said the government official.
"Therefore, I have to exercise my supervisory powers over the administration," Rui Luís added, stressing that training is one of the priorities for improving the evacuation system.
In this context, he recalled that the "Regional Director had already announced that a course on emergency and stabilisation of critical patients begins next week, being addressed at General Practice and Family Medicine interns.
Regarding the need for a second crew for Portuguese Air Force helicopters, the government official stated that a second crew for the Azores is expected to be confirmed by the end of the year.