Approach News – Former director of the Regional Hospital refutes accusations about refusal to admit a child

On the same day that the former director of the Hospital Regional de Assis, Telma Gonçalves Carneiro Spera de Andrade, announced her pre-candidacy for mayor of the city, on May 2, social media was taken over by a worrying case involving a child of nine years old, admitted in critical condition to the Maternity Hospital of Assis, after a hemorrhagic stroke. Platina’s family fought to transfer her to the Assis Regional Hospital, even though she was admitted to the ICU at a hospital in the city. The HRA serves 25 municipalities in the SUS system.

Although the problem was resolved via court, the report received multiple complaints about an alleged refusal to admit the child to the HRA, with the allegation that the former director, now a pre-candidate, had denied the place.

In response to the accusations, Telma gave an interview to our team, emphasizing that she would never deny a place to anyone in need, unless this meant circumventing the flows agreed for the functioning of the SUS. She clarified that, in the case in question, the child, born in Platina and admitted to a private hospital, through a private agreement, was offered a place at Santa Casa de Ourinhos and Santa Casa de Assis, however, the family, guided by the medical team, insisted on transfer to the Assis Regional Hospital.

Telma stated: “I am very calm about my tireless work, night and day, to serve everyone in need, especially those who depend exclusively on the SUS. Over almost seven years, I have always tried to take care of everyone, but within ethical and moral principles, within legality.”

The former HR director recognizes the concern of the patient’s family, but highlights the importance of following the legal procedures for transfers between public institutions, accredited by the SUS and private institutions.

Regarding the complaint that the child underwent surgery and remained in the adult ICU of HMA until being transferred to the pediatric ICU of the Regional Hospital by court order, Telma highlighted that the transfer is considered a breach of the organizational system. She emphasized the need for responsibility and compliance with established protocols to ensure equity in access to health services, considering that HR serves 25 municipalities in the region, and there are waiting lists that cannot be “skipped”.

Even though she had asked to resign from her position to run for mayor of Assis, Telma guarantees her commitment to quality public service and respect for the standards that govern the health system, while clarifying that the issue in question is a complex situation that requires analysis care and respect for legal principles. He also added that, given the situation, the HRA team advised the family to contact the Public Prosecutor’s Office, as the situation was beyond their jurisdiction.

HRA board advisor reiterates that a vacancy is never refused

Edimar Luis de Oliveira, technical advisor in public health, explained to our team that the Hospital Regional de Assis is 100% SUS and does not have any type of private or private health insurance. “The Regional Hospital is neither philanthropic nor private, it is 100% SUS and yes, every Brazilian citizen has the right, but the SUS has principles and we cannot violate them. Today the hospital makes available the vacancies it has through a regulation system called Siresp – Computerized Regulation System of the State of São Paulo, formerly Cross – Health Service Offers Regulation Center. Every patient who comes to be admitted to the Hospital Regional needs to be referenced by this system”, he says.

According to him, the hospital is part of a macro-region in the Paranapanema Valley that covers 25 municipalities. The hospital is not exclusive to the UPA, but demand comes from these 25 municipalities and all of them are regulated by Siresp. The hospital never and under no circumstances denies a vacancy. We make the beds available and they are regulated by the system. From then on, any patient entered within the complexity of the hospital is accepted and then comes to a offered bed. We have the Referenced Emergency Room which is our gateway, also regulated by Siresp, when we do not have beds at the Regional Hospital, patients remain in the Referenced Emergency Room waiting for Clinical or ICU beds”, he reports.

According to Edimar, through this regulation, the hospital is protected, because it is an ordinance, it is legislation. We cannot accept a private insurance patient without Siresp because we are causing an infraction through the SUS. For patients who are private or under another arrangement and whose family is unable to keep them in an institution, we advise them to contact the Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Public Prosecutor’s Office, who are great partners at this time, and if the decision is favorable, the hospital will be informed by the DRS and the court decision will be attached to the patient’s medical record explaining that he left a completely private hospital and came to the state hospital with SUS insurance through a court decision, without going through Siresp”, he explains.

“If we don’t take these steps, we’re jumping the queue. There are patients who may have been waiting in the SUS for a place in the pediatric, pediatric, neonatal or adult ICU for days and we could be circumventing the system, bringing this patient in and jumping the queue. I say again, if this court decision is reached, we are legally protected to respond to the case”, he concludes.