Jorge Pinto Urges Health Minister to Quit over Delayed 275 INEM Ambulances

Portugal’s presidential race intensified as candidate Jorge Pinto accused the government of reacting “only after tragedies” and urged Prime Minister Luís Montenegro to dismiss Health Minister Ana Paula Martins. At the center of the controversy is the long-delayed purchase of new emergency vehicles for the Instituto Nacional de Emergência Médica (INEM), announced only after a series of fatal rescue delays.

Quick glance at the dispute

• Jorge Pinto says the minister “can’t stay” and promises to summon her to Belém if elected.

• Government approves 275 new vehicles—163 ambulances, 34 VMER and 78 support cars—for €16.8 M.

• Opposition argues the procurement was authorised in 2023 by a Socialist cabinet and should already be on the road.

• Health Minister refuses to quit; the Prime Minister backs her, warning that departures won’t fix the SNS.

• Parliamentary parties from PCP to Chega want hearings; unions blame hospital overcrowding for stalled stretchers.

Candidate escalates criticism

Pinto, endorsed by the environmental-left Livre, chose the health portfolio as his primary campaign issue. In a statement outside Porto’s São João Hospital, he said he was “tired of a country where lives are lost before action is taken,” accusing the cabinet of prioritising press conferences over planning. His call for Martins’s resignation comes less than a month before official presidential campaigning begins, giving his remarks national attention.

Ambulance procurement under scrutiny

The cabinet’s approval for 275 vehicles—the largest single investment in pre-hospital care in a decade—was intended to reassure voters. Critics noted that the tender was technically cleared in late 2023, with the public announcement following media reports linking at least three deaths to ambulance shortages. Pinto described the move as “too little, too late,” and health-policy expert Inês Moura called the timing “politically motivated but clinically insufficient,” noting that most of the fleet will not be available until early summer.

How buying an ambulance actually works

Unlike most state purchases, INEM relies on a hybrid model: it subsidises local bombeiros to order vehicles, taking advantage of a 6 % VAT bracket and faster delivery windows. Under normal conditions, paperwork to road-worthy ambulance takes 2–3 months. Transforming raw vans into fully kitted AEM or SIV units accounts for half of that timeline. Yet supply-chain hiccups and budget freezes since the pandemic have stretched the current cycle to more than 8 months, according to industry suppliers. That gap explains why 70 stretchers, on average, remain parked in hospital corridors daily, immobilising crews who should be back on the road.

Parliament smells blood

Within hours of Pinto’s comments, BE, PAN and Livre echoed the resignation call, while PCP and Chega demanded that Martins testify about INEM. Even the centrist Iniciativa Liberal framed the row as proof that a structural overhaul is overdue. The Socialist bench flipped the narrative, accusing the centre-right government of hiding the earlier tender date and challenging Montenegro to “own the delay.” Behind the scenes, senior PSD figures concede that the optics are “less than ideal” but insist rescue response times have shortened in 6 of the 10 regions monitored.

What matters today for patients and crews

Short-term relief hinges on two stop-gap measures: reallocating retained ambulances from non-urgent transfers and fast-tracking overtime pay for paramedics. Unions welcomed the cash but warned that fatigue is climbing. Health-service analyst Tiago Figueiredo stresses that “hardware without staffing is just metal,” pointing out that Portugal still falls below the EU average for paramedics per 100 000 inhabitants.

The road ahead

Whether Martins stays or goes, the credibility of the health-care rescue network is now a ballot-box issue. Pinto’s stance positions him as the anti-establishment voice on a service every Portuguese family counts on, while the government bets voters will value new equipment over ministerial reshuffles. The first batch of ambulances is scheduled to roll out just before the tourist high season—a test not only of engines and sirens but of political survival itself.