MG City Hall declares emergency situation in the pediatric sector

The City of Montes Claros, in the North of Minas Gerais, declared a Public Health Emergency, due to the lack of pediatric beds available. This is caused by the significant increase in cases of severe respiratory syndrome in children, in addition to the large number of cases of arboviruses (dengue, chikungunya and zika).

According to the Municipal Attorney General, Otávio Rocha, the decree will guide two important points for health in the city. “The first important point is to restrict the referral of patients from other municipalities to Montes Claros, until the situation is equalized. The objective is to suspend the availability of beds outside the municipality”, he highlights.

The second important point of the document is that it promotes a partial intervention in the system, allowing the Municipal Health Department to directly allocate and refer patients to the municipality’s own and partnered service network.

“As of the decree, contracted providers will be subject to this extraordinary regulation allowing the Department of Health to allocate and occupy available vacancies in the city to provide pediatrics,” he said.

‘Exceptional situation’

The prosecutor also highlighted that this is an exceptional and transitory situation, caused by the worsening of the situation with a seasonal aspect of severe respiratory syndrome, together with the increase in the number of arboviruses, which does not only occur in Montes Claros, but throughout Brazil.

“As soon as the situation is resolved, everything will return to normal. These are essential measures to guarantee full service. Among the internal measures, we will transform the Chiquinho Guimarães Emergency Care Unit (Upa) into a reinforcement unit for care in the area of ​​pediatrics” , highlights.

With Montes Claros City Hall

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