Instituto Nacional de Emergência Médica

Instituto Nacional de Emergência Médica (INEM), also known by its acronym INEM, is Portugal’s national emergency medical service responsible for delivering pre‑hospital emergency care across the country. Operating under the authority of the Portuguese Ministry of Health, the institute manages the coordination of ambulance dispatches, provides immediate medical assistance at the scene of accidents or sudden illnesses, and facilitates patient transport to appropriate hospital facilities. Its core mission is to ensure timely, professional medical response for all residents and visitors within Portuguese territory, thereby supporting the broader healthcare system by stabilising patients before they reach definitive care. INEM’s services are accessible 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and are activated through the national emergency telephone number, which routes calls to its dispatch centres for rapid assessment and resource allocation. The organisation also engages in training programmes for emergency medical technicians and paramedics, contributing to the maintenance of high clinical standards within the sector.

The incident reported on 30 November 2022 highlighted the scale of INEM’s workforce, noting that credentials of approximately 2 492 professionals were compromised during a cyberattack that affected non‑critical systems such as scheduling platforms and password‑management tools. While the attack disrupted those ancillary services, INEM affirmed that emergency medical operations and critical infrastructure remained unaffected, underscoring the resilience of its core response capabilities. As a public institute, INEM is directly accountable to the Portuguese State, with its organisational structure and funding derived from national health budgets. Its distinguishing attributes include a specialised focus on urgent medical care, a regulatory role in setting standards for pre‑hospital services, and a sector‑leading position as the sole entity tasked with nationwide emergency medical coordination in Portugal. These characteristics, combined with its continuous operational presence and commitment to professional development, define INEM’s essential function within the country’s public health and safety framework.