The Ministry of Health confirmed in a statement that Vitor Almeida concluded that “the conditions are not met to assume the presidency of INEM, for professional reasons and given the current context of the institute,” a week after he announced the position. The government has appointed Sergio Dias Janeiro, current director of the Internal Medicine Service at the Hospital das Forcas Armadas, in his place.
“On July 4, the Ministry of Health announced the appointment of Vitor Almeida, an anesthesiologist with proven experience in medical emergencies, as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the National Institute of Medical Emergencies (INEM), who accepted the government’s invitation to the position,” the statement said, adding that “but in contacts with the guardianship over the past week, Vitor Almeida concluded that the conditions were not met. To assume the presidency of the Institute for professional reasons and in view of the current context of the Institute.”
The withdrawal of Vitor Almeida was reported by the Journal de Noticias, which cited as one of the reasons for the withdrawal the fact that the anesthesiologist had imposed conditions that the guardianship did not accept. These conditions would be linked to the status of the emergency medical helicopters. As the observer wrote, the Audit Board found the direct agreement to hand over the provision of air resources to the INEM emergency service for six months to be illegal.
The doctor chosen by the government a week ago to lead INEM will have closed the door and will not become president
The ministry revealed that, given the current situation, it has decided to appoint Sergio Dias Janeiro, on a replacement basis for 60 days, until the competition for Cresap is opened.
Sergio Dias Janeiro is a physician and is currently Director of the Internal Medicine Service at Hospital das Forcas Armadas, where from 2022 to 2023 he held the position of Clinical Director of the Emergency Service.
The new President of INEM was born in Vale de Cambra in 1981, and graduated in medicine from the Faculty of Medical Sciences of the Nova University of Lisbon, having completed military training as well as the Army Medicine Course at the Military Academy, of course from 1999-2006.
He is a Medical Lieutenant Colonel and has completed a course in Military Parachuting, Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS), Major Incident Medical Response (MRMI), as well as INEM-certified courses in Emergency Medical Vehicle and Resuscitation for Physicians, Medical Organizer Emergency Patient Orientation Center, Flight Physiology and Heliport Safety Course.
The doctor also completed his assignment in NATO operations in Kabul, Afghanistan, as a medical advisor to the Operational Guidance and Liaison Team. He has been a member of the Medical Association since 2006 and of the Faculty of Internal Medicine since 2014.
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