A group of users, family members, and concerned citizens from the Autonomous Region of Madeira has issued an open letter describing what it calls a situation of extreme seriousness and humanitarian urgency within the Non-Urgent Patient Transport Service operated by the Regional Health Service of Madeira (SESARAM, EPE).
The signatories allege an operational collapse, negligence, and harmful management that is directly impacting some of the Region's most vulnerable residents. According to the statement, there has been a massive cancellation of transport for patients with reduced or no mobility, including amputees and bedridden individuals, preventing many from attending essential medical appointments and rehabilitation sessions.
The open letter attributes the situation to both a deteriorating vehicle fleet and a shortage of personnel. It claims that half of SESARAM's public fleet of ambulances and vans is currently out of service and that no new ambulance crews have been recruited for approximately six years, leaving existing teams severely overstretched.
