SUBSCRIBE NOW

SIGHT

Be informed. Be challenged. Be inspired.

Healthcare collapse imminent, Brazil’s Sao Paulo warns, as COVID-19 cases surge

Sao Paulo/Brasilia, Brazil
Reuters

Brazil’s richest and most populous state, Sao Paulo, has warned its ability to care for seriously ill COVID-19 patients was on the verge of collapse as it ran perilously low on key drugs, according to a letter to the federal government seen by the Folha de Sao Paulo newspaper.

Sao Paulo state said it expects to run out of crucial intubation drugs, needed to sedate patients, in the next few days, the paper reported on Wednesday. 

Brazil Porto Alegre Nossa Senhora da Conceicao

Medical workers take care of patients in the emergency room of the Nossa Senhora da Conceicao hospital that is overcrowded because of the coronavirus outbreak, in Porto Alegre, Brazil, on 11th March, 2021.  PICTURE: Reuters/Diego Vara

“The supply situation regarding drugs, mainly neuromuscular blockers and sedatives, is very serious,” Sao Paulo Health Secretary Jean Gorinchteyn reportedly wrote in the letter. 

“Collapse is imminent,” he said. 

Gorinchteyn confirmed the letter in a news conference on Wednesday, telling reporters: “we need the federal government to help us.” 

The situation in Sao Paulo, which has one of Brazil’s most sophisticated public hospital networks, is a dire indication of the strain on Brazil’s healthcare system. 

Brazil has for several weeks consistently had among the worst COVID-19 death tolls in the world, accounting for about a quarter of daily deaths attributed to the virus worldwide. 

President Jair Bolsonaro has been widely criticized for his handling of the pandemic, including downplaying the disease’s severity, promoting dubious treatments and repeatedly opposing social distancing measures. 

Experts say his handling of the outbreak has encouraged the virus to run rampant, increasing the likelihood of mutations, such as the P1 variant, which has raised alarms worldwide. 

Scientists studying the virus in Brazil have found the P1 variant is already mutating in ways that could make it better able to evade antibodies. 

Brazil’s vaccination rollout also lags behind those of other large economies and has been plagued by dysfunction. 

On Wednesday, health minister Marcelo Queiroga said Pfizer Inc would increase its deliveries of its coronavirus vaccine to 15.5 million doses in the second quarter, up from a previous estimate of 13.5 million.

 

Donate



sight plus logo

Sight+ is a new benefits program we’ve launched to reward people who have supported us with annual donations of $26 or more. To find out more about Sight+ and how you can support the work of Sight, head to our Sight+ page.

Musings

TAKE PART IN THE SIGHT READER SURVEY!

We’re interested to find out more about you, our readers, as we improve and expand our coverage and so we’re asking all of our readers to take this survey (it’ll only take a couple of minutes).

To take part in the survey, simply follow this link…

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

For security, use of Google's reCAPTCHA service is required which is subject to the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.