Floods in RS: FAB transfers 3-month-old baby in serious condition to hospital more than 500 km from the flooded region | National Newspaper

This Wednesday (8), the National Newspaper accompanied a Brazilian Air Force mission to transfer a 3-month-old baby from the hospital.

The ups and downs are intense at the base of Canoas. The Black Hawk FAB 8916 team helped rescue victims of the Kiss nightclub fire in 2013. This Wednesday’s mission (8) is also delicate and urgent: transferring Bryan, a 3-month-old baby, intubated due to severe pneumonia.

“Health logistics are very compromised. Furthermore, several hospitals were flooded and lost their functional capacity. So, to the point of having to pick up a critically ill child from a nearby hospital and take it to another part of the state because we can’t find a bed in the region”, says Captain Vinícius Ayres, an Air Force doctor.

The baby was in a hospital in Esteio, in Vale dos Sinos, and was taken to Santa Rosa, in the northwest region, more than 500 km away. The first landing was on a football field to meet the ambulance. Little Bryan was placed in the care of doctor-captain Ayres and nurse-lieutenant Elisiane. There, in the small space, they improvised an ICU to monitor the baby. Doctor and nurse, on their knees, didn’t take their eyes off him. His father, Juliano, always by his side.

From above, the view was of areas and more areas flooded. And, in the sky, heavy clouds announced more rain. After an hour and a half, the helicopter had to land.

“For safety reasons, because of the strong winds and also to refuel, the helicopter had to stop here in Santa Maria before its final destination, which is Santa Rosa”, says reporter Júlio Mosquéra.

More than half the way was left behind. Juliano was already calmer and with the hope that he has marked the Gauchos in the face of so much adversity.

“I know everyone will recover. My son will also recover and everything will be fine”, says Juliano Siqueira, Bryan’s father.

Another 40 minutes until the final stop. Little Bryan’s signals responded to the trip. After almost three hours of travel, little Bryan arrived at his final destination. All ready to get him out of the helicopter and take him to the hospital. Transfer to the ambulance was quick and safe. Sitting at the front, Juliano said goodbye with optimism. The reward is the joy of the team’s accomplishment.

“Air transport is always a big challenge, with critically ill patients, even more so. I have small children, so it always changes. The child affects us a lot too”, says Lieutenant Elisiane Gouvea, an intensive care nurse at the Air Force.