8-day old baby dies waiting hours for VMER rapid response vehicle: investigation mounted

An investigation is underway into failings of Portalegre’s VMER (emergency and reanimation service) after an 8-day old baby died 11 HOURS after the call for help went out. The father of the child put in the call at 9.33 in the morning; according to reports, the VMER vehicle did not arrive at the house in Alagoa until 8pm that evening. Tabloid Correio da Manhã puts the reason down to a lack of available doctors. By the time the VMER team did reach the house, the baby was in cardiorespiratory arrest. Reanimation measures were taken, to no avail.