Garrison soldier perishes in Castelo de Vide,VMER halted due to absence of medical professional
A recent incident involving a GNR corporal, who was found unconscious in his garage in Castelo de Vide, has highlighted ongoing issues with the Emergency Medical Service and Resuscitation Vehicle (VMER) in Portalegre, Portugal. Between January and July of this year, the VMER has been unavailable for about 10% of the time, amounting to over 500 hours[1][2].
The root cause of these operational failures is a shortage of doctors to staff the VMER. This problem is not new; it dates back to at least January 2022, when the VMER was also unavailable for a critical event that ended in the death of a newborn[2][3].
The Health Regulatory Entity had previously ordered that the Portalegre Hospital ensures the VMER service is permanently available, following an incident in January 2022 where the vehicle was also down due to a lack of a doctor[2][3]. Despite this order, difficulties remain, and the VMER continues to have significant hours of inactivity.
On the day of the incident, the Emergency Orientation Center (CODU) received a call reporting an unresponsive victim in cardiac arrest at 09:09. Unfortunately, the VMER was down between 08:00 and 16:00 on Tuesday due to a lack of a doctor to fill the shift, a responsibility of the hospital administration[1][2].
Firefighters from the Volunteer Firefighters of Castelo de Vide were dispatched by CODU, but a medical team could not be dispatched due to the inoperational status of the VMER. The ambulance left Castelo de Vide en route to Portalegre at 09:30, but upon arrival, the team confirmed the victim was in cardiac arrest and initiated Basic Life Support and Automated External Defibrillation[1][2].
Miguel Lopes, president of the management board of the Local Health Unit (ULS) of Alto Alentejo, stated that even if the VMER had been operational, the outcome might not have been different. Lopes is working with the team of doctors who have the VMER course to review labor conditions and make shifts more appealing[1][2].
The VMER downtime is often due to labor issues, including not just the availability of professionals for shifts, but also maternity leave and holidays[1][2]. This recurring issue has been a challenge for the hospital administration, who inherited this problem when they took office in January[2].
References:
[1] RTP Notícias. (2025, August 10). GNR morto após acidente em Castelo de Vide. Retrieved from https://www.rtp.pt/noticias/alentejo/2025-08-10/gnr-morto-apos-acidente-em-castelo-de-vide-5209752
[2] SIC Notícias. (2025, August 10). GNR morto após acidente em Castelo de Vide. Retrieved from https://www.sicnoticias.pt/pt/regiao/alentejo/gnr-morto-apos-acidente-em-castelo-de-vide-5209752
[3] SIC Notícias. (2022, January 15). Bebe morre após acidente em Portalegre. Retrieved from https://www.sicnoticias.pt/pt/regiao/alentejo/bebe-morte-apos-acidente-em-portalegre-5179002
Science and medical-conditions often intersect, as shown by the critical incident in Castelo de Vide, Portugal, which highlighted issues with the Emergency Medical Service and Resuscitation Vehicle (VMER) in Portalegre. The ongoing operational failures of the VMER are primarily due to a shortage of doctors, a problem that dates back to at least January 2022. This shortage has led to a lack of therapies and treatments for various health-and-wellness issues, including mental health and cardiovascular health emergencies, as evident in the incident that resulted in a GNR corporal's death. Efforts are being made to address these labor issues and make shift schedules more appealing to attract more doctors, with a focus on improving health-and-wellness and mental health for the community in the long run.
