IMM responded to mobile emergency: ASSE's tender transfers must be done 'only in ambulances'

A political dispute has erupted in Uruguay's Parliament over the Administration of State Health Services (ASSE) using taxis for patient transfers, a practice the Montevideo Intendancy (IMM) has deemed unlawful. The IMM, in a response to a mobile emergency company, clarified that ASSE's tender for non-medicalized transfers in the metropolitan area, which is open until May 19, requires the use of ambulances (SAM-plated vehicles). The IMM explicitly stated that transfers cannot be conducted in private vehicles, taxis, or remises, but must exclusively use ambulance services. Nationalist deputy Amín Niffouri criticized ASSE's 'pilot program' with taxis, arguing it lowers the quality of care for users. He emphasized that transporting individuals, such as those undergoing dialysis, requires the safety and guarantees provided by an ambulance, not a taxi. Niffouri expressed concern over who would be responsible if something were to happen to a user during such a transfer, a question he claims ASSE authorities failed to adequately answer. In contrast, ASSE President Álvaro Danza defended the taxi transfers, presenting them as a cost-saving measure. He claimed that between April 11 and May 11, ASSE saved 11 million Uruguayan pesos. Danza also characterized the individuals being transported as 'users' who could potentially travel by public transport, asserting that the use of taxis with partitions provides adequate safety, similar to any other taxi ride, with seatbelt use being mandatory. This stark disagreement highlights a fundamental difference in perspective on patient care, safety, and cost-efficiency within Uruguay's public health system.

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No puede realizar traslados con un vehículo particular, taxi o remise