Melo guarantees second emergency helicopter "soon"

The Defense Minister said this Saturday that “soon” a second military helicopter will be available for emergency medical transport authorized to operate at night.

The Government had announced that, from 1 July, emergency air medical transport would be provided 24 hours a day by four Portuguese Air Force (FAP) helicopters, complementing the service of the two vehicles immediately made available by the company that won the public tender.

However, as reported by Expresso on Thursday, there is only one aircraft authorized to operate at night.

During the FAP celebrations, which took place in the morning in Figueira da Foz, Nuno Melo highlighted the commitment of that branch of the Armed Forces in medical emergencies, and took stock of the resources available.

According to the minister, the Air Force currently has a helicopter in Beja authorized to operate between 5:00 am and 9:30 pm, a helicopter and two planes in Montijo that operate 24 hours a day and a helicopter in Ovar for the period between 5:00 am and 9:30 pm.

Ovar will soon have another helicopter that will be able to operate 24 hours a day”, said the minister, without providing further details.

“What the Air Force does is done with demand and competence, but also with experience. For many years, the Cross of Christ has crossed the skies of Madeira and the Azores”, he stressed, referring to the emergency air medical transport provided in the archipelagos.

On Friday, Nuno Melo had already commented on the news in the weekly newspaper Expresso, which he downplayed, highlighting that the Air Force also uses planes and is “helping to save lives”.

“There are those who might want to diminish what is truly so virtuous, there will certainly be some explanation. It is not in the national interest,” he lamented this Saturday.