The Portuguese Fire Brigade has said that fire brigades are "on the verge of financial asphyxia" due to the increase in fuel prices, with great impact expected on the treatment and transport of non-urgent patients.

Speaking to Lusa news agency, the president of the League of Portuguese Firefighters (LBP), António Nunes, said that the increase in fuel prices since March is expected to create an additional expense of more than 10 million euros per year on the books of the 434 fire brigades across Portugal.

Nunes also said that there haven’t been any Government measures to resolve the situation and stressed that the care of non-urgent patients is "doomed to collapse if there are no effective measures" put in place.

"Many fire brigades are beginning to reduce the number of patient transports because of the costs associated with them. Some of the vehicles subject to tolls have also started to stop. The scenario is dramatic in the face of this rampant asphyxia", said the LBP.

Nunes highlighted that the protocol with the Ministry of Health on the payment of mileage for non-emergency transport "has not been updated since 2012".

Additionally, the president of the LBP said that regional health administrations (ARS), mainly in the central region, take a long time to pay firefighters. "There are associations that have no liquid cash," he lamented.

"The situation is absolutely chaotic".