Serviço de Atendimento Móvel de Urgência

Urgent Mobile Care Service
Serviço de Atendimento Móvel de Urgência
NicknameSAMU, SAMU-192
Named afterService d'Aide Médicale Urgente (SAMU) of France
Formation27 April 2004 (2004-04-27)
Location
Official language
Brazilian Portuguese, Guarani[1]
Parent organization
Ministério da Saúde (Brazilian Ministry of Health)
Websitegov.br/saude/pt-br/composicao/saes/samu-192

Serviço de Atendimento Móvel de Urgência (SAMU or SAMU 192; lit. 'Urgent Mobile Care Service')[2] is Brazil's public national pre-hospital mobile care service.[3] The service is entirely free, as part of Brazil's Unified Health System (SUS), and is available via the specially reserved phone number 192 at all hours of the day, every day.[4]

In June 2025, SAMU reportedly had a fleet of over 4.3 thousand ambulances, servicing about 188 million people in 4,143 Brazilian municipalities (out of 5.5 thousand;[5] around 75% city coverage).[4]

History

SAMU was instituted nationally via Decree #5,055 on 27 April 2004, by then-president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.[2][6] The same decree also guaranteed that the phone number "192" would be reserved for exclusive use by the service.

Operation

Funding

SAMU's funding is shared between the federal, state and municipal governments. The federal government is meant to give states and municipalities funds corresponding to 50% of the service's budget, and the recipients are expected to cover for the rest,[7][8] though this balance is not always kept.[9]

Organization

SAMU is split into two divisions: the regulation division, via the Central Médica de Regulação (lit. 'Medical Regulation Center'), and the assistance division, which makes use of the ambulances.[10]

The regulation division receives distress phone calls to the 192 number, identifies the patient and where they're located, and transfers treatment to a medical professional. This doctor will, if possible, handle the patient's needs on call; however, if necessary, they will request action by the assistance division.[10] The assistance division is responsible for bringing in person care to patients, using whatever vehicle is more suited for the situation.[10]

Vehicles

SAMU has a wide range of vehicles available, either stationed on the Medical Regulation Center or, in some cases, in decentralized bases.[10]

There are two different types of traditional ambulances: Unidades de Suporte Básico (USB; lit. 'Basic Support Units') and Unidades de Suporte Avançado (USA; lit. 'Advanced Support Units').[10] The USB's are suited for lower complexity situations, while USA's are reserved for more serious cases.[8] USA's are similar in capabilities to an ICU.[8]

Ambulance motorcycles, nicknamed "motolâncias" (portmanteau of motocicleta + ambulância), are also available and equipped similarly to USB's; they are used where access by traditional ambulances is difficult.[8]

Additionally, in situations in which terrestrial access is not an option, boat ambulances ("ambulanchas"; portmanteau of ambulância + lancha), helicopters or airplanes may be used.[8]

In July 2023, the monthly cost of USB's was reportedly R$17 thousand (approx. US$3 thousand); of USA's, R$50 thousand (approx. US$9 thousand); and of motolâncias, R$9 thousand (approx. US$2 thousand).[11]

  • Basic Support Units (USB)
    Basic Support Units (USB)
  • An Advanced Support Unit (USA)
    An Advanced Support Unit (USA)
  • An ambulance motorcycle (motolância)
    An ambulance motorcycle (motolância)
  • Rescue helicopter for both SAMU and the Firefighters Corps
    Rescue helicopter for both SAMU and the Firefighters Corps

SAMUI

Modified SAMU branding representing the SAMUI

In August 2025, the Federal Government launched the first Serviço de Atendimento Móvel de Urgência Indígena (SAMUI; lit. 'Indigenous Urgent Mobile Care Service') in an indigenous nature reserve in Dourados, Mato Grosso do Sul.[1] SAMUI is expected to assist 25 thousand indigenous people, and is starting with a team of 14 health professionals – consisting of five nursing technicians, five nurses and four driver-rescuers – half of which speak Guarani.[1] SAMUI will reportedly have an annual budget of R$341 thousand (approx. US$63 thousand).[1]

Alexandre Padilha
@padilhando

Brazilian Portuguese: HISTÓRICO: Inauguramos hoje o PRIMEIRO SAMU INDÍGENA DO BRASIL em Dourados - Mato Grosso do Sul! O SAMUI vai atender 25 mil indígenas das etnias Guarani, Kaiowá e Terena, com profissionais de saúde fluentes em Guarani! É o governo Lula cuidando dos nossos povos indígenas!

HISTORIC: We inaugurated today BRAZIL'S FIRST INDIGENOUS SAMU in Dourados - Mato Grosso do Sul! The SAMUI will cover 25 thousand indigenous people from Guarani, Kaiowá and Terena ethnicities, with health professionals that are fluent in Guarani! That's Lula's government taking care of our indigenous peoples!

9 Aug 2025[12]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d Andrade, Mariana (9 August 2025). "Governo lança "SAMUI", primeiro SAMU voltado a indígenas do país" [Government launches "SAMUI", the first SAMU aimed at the country's indigenous]. Metrópoles (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 9 August 2025.
  2. ^ a b Basso, Gustavo (27 April 2024). "Samu completa 20 anos como símbolo de êxito do SUS" [SAMU reaches 20 years as symbol of SUS's success]. Deutsche Welle (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 9 August 2025.
  3. ^ Ciconet, Rosane Mortari; Marques, Giselda Quintana; Lima, Maria Alice Dias da Silva (September 2008). "Educação em serviço para profissionais de saúde do Serviço de Atendimento Móvel de Urgência (SAMU): relato da experiência de Porto Alegre-RS" [In-service training for health professionals of the Mobile Emergency Care Service: report on the experience of Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil]. Interface - Comunicação, Saúde, Educação (in Brazilian Portuguese). UNESP. pp. 659–666. doi:10.1590/S1414-32832008000300016. ISSN 1807-5762. Retrieved 9 August 2025.
  4. ^ a b "Governo Federal amplia frota do SAMU 192 e reforça atendimento de urgência em todo o país" [Federal Government increases SAMU 192's fleet and strengthens urgent care in the whole country]. Secretariat of Social Communication (in Brazilian Portuguese). 10 June 2025. Retrieved 9 August 2025.
  5. ^ "Mais da metade dos brasileiros vivem em apenas 387 dos mais de 5,5 mil municípios" [Over half of Brazilians live in only 387 of over 5.5 thousand municipalities]. Agência Gov (in Brazilian Portuguese). 29 August 2024. Retrieved 9 August 2025.
  6. ^ da Silva, Luiz Inácio Lula. "DECRETO Nº 5.055, DE 27 DE ABRIL DE 2004" [Decree #5,055, of 27 April 2004]. Palácio do Planalto (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 9 August 2025.
  7. ^ Costa, Humberto (29 September 2003). "PORTARIA Nº 1.864, DE 29 DE SETEMBRO DE 2003" [Ordinance #1.864, of 29 September 2003]. Ministério da Saúde (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 9 August 2025.
  8. ^ a b c d e Freire, Ana (29 August 2024). "SAMU 192: conheça os tipos de serviços prestados pelo atendimento móvel de urgência" [SAMU 192: get to know the kinds of services provided by the mobile urgency care]. Ministério da Saúde (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 9 August 2025.
  9. ^ "Samu pode entrar em colapso por falta de repasse adequado do governo federal, alerta consórcio". g1 (in Brazilian Portuguese). 20 June 2025. Retrieved 9 August 2025.
  10. ^ a b c d e O'Dwyer, Gisele; Konder, Mariana Teixeira; Reciputti, Luciano Pereira; Macedo, Cesar; Lopes, Monica Guimarães Macau (2017). "O processo de implantação do Serviço de Atendimento Móvel de Urgência no Brasil: estratégias de ação e dimensões estruturais" [Implementation of the Mobile Emergency Medical Service in Brazil: action strategies and structural dimension]. Cadernos de Saúde Pública (in Brazilian Portuguese). 33 (7). Oswaldo Cruz Foundation. doi:10.1590/0102-311X00043716. ISSN 1678-4464. Retrieved 9 August 2025.
  11. ^ "Aumento de 30% em recursos para o custeio do Samu 192 é confirmado em Portaria" [30% increase in budget for Samu 192 funding is confirmed in Ordinance]. Confederação Nacional de Municípios (in Brazilian Portuguese). 26 July 2023. Retrieved 9 August 2025.
  12. ^ Alexandre Padilha [@padilhando] (9 August 2025). "HISTÓRICO: Inauguramos hoje o PRIMEIRO SAMU INDÍGENA DO BRASIL em Dourados - Mato Grosso do Sul! O SAMUI vai atender 25 mil indígenas das etnias Guarani, Kaiowá e Terena, com profissionais de saúde fluentes em Guarani! É o governo Lula cuidando dos nossos povos indígenas!" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 9 August 2025 – via Twitter.
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