Court of Auditors of the State of Pernambuco

On World Autism Awareness Day (April 2), the Pernambuco Court of Auditors (TCE-PE) signed the first Management Adjustment Agreement (TAG) aimed at improving care for people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) .

The mayor of Santa Cruz do Capibaribe, Fábio Queiroz Aragão, signed the TAG with counselor Dirceu Rodolfo, rapporteur of the municipal processes in 2024, committing to adopt measures to improve public health services aimed at these patients.

TAGs are agreements between the TCE-PE and the public manager, and their purpose is to determine a deadline for resolving flaws identified in the management of public bodies or entities in municipalities and the State.

The agreement is the result of a survey carried out by TCE-PE in 2023 to evaluate the autism support service in the public health network in Pernambuco. The study highlighted several deficiencies in the municipalities of Pernambuco, including Santa Cruz de Capibaribe, such as a lack of professionals and lack of training and qualifications for the teams involved, in addition to long waiting lines for multidisciplinary care, and delays in scheduling appointments.

ASD is characterized by changes in the individual’s neurodevelopmental functions, which can interfere with the ability to communicate, language, social interaction and behavior. Early diagnosis allows the development of stimuli to develop independence and quality of life.

The Management Adjustment Term proposed by TCE-PE establishes 13 measures to be adopted by the administration to regularize patient care, and deadlines for compliance with the actions, which vary from 2 to 10 months.

The municipality will have to submit to the TCE, within 90 days, an action plan with definitions about the service for ASD, provide care with a multidisciplinary team of occupational therapists, speech therapists and psychologists, and promote training for professionals involved in the service, among others.

The TCE-PE will monitor the implementation of the measures, as well as the deadlines for implementation. Failure to comply with the TAG may result in penalties for the manager.

STATE HEALTH DEPARTMENT – Last February, counselor Carlos Neves, rapporteur of the processes of the State Department of Health (SES) in 2024, ordered the opening of a special audit to evaluate the department’s actions aimed at patients with ASD, after the service failures highlighted by the survey of the TCE-PE. The rapporteur even proposed the signing of a TAG with the State, with proposals to improve service, but SES chose not to sign the term, claiming that it was already providing the necessary measures.

Journalism Management (GEJO), 04/02/2024