Medicine and psychology professionals from the National Force of the Unified Health System have already served more than 800 people in the city of Rio Bonito do Iguaçu (PR)the hardest hit by last Friday’s tornado (7). The municipality had six deaths, at least 775 injured and 39 people left homeless.
According to the Ministry of Health, the teams will remain in the territory indefinitely until the situation stabilizes. Professionals support the reorganization of the health care structure and reinforce the service in the units. They work in primary care, urgency and emergency care, and also in shelters.
Of the seven health units in the municipality, two remain partially operational. Urgent and emergency care was centralized in the municipality of Laranjeiras do Sul.
Mental health
Mental health care is another fundamental focus of the work, according to the coordinator of the SUS National Force, Rodrigo Stabelli, with 80% of the city devastated, as announced by the Ministry of Health.
He states that the impact of the situation causes different age groups to suffer psychologically, such as children and the elderly.
Stabelli says that the actions include emotional support from frontline professionals, support for affected families and conversation circles in shelters, schools and churches.
In all, 55 municipalities in Paraná were impacted by storms, with more than 31 thousand people affected. The SUS National Force strategy involves sending psychologists, psychiatrists, pharmacists and technical managers.
At the Laranjeiras do Sul shelter, where 34 people are housed, the multidisciplinary team guarantees qualified listening and more complex referrals, in conjunction with social assistance.
