The increase in cases of respiratory syndrome made the government of Santa Catarina decree this Friday (3) a health emergency. The decision, explained the State Department of Health, stems from overcrowding in hospitals and overloading of medical care centers.
According to the last update of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) bed panel in the state, 97.7% of the beds were occupied this Saturday morning (4) in Santa Catarina. In three regions of the state, Foz do Rio Itajaí, Meio Oeste and Serra Catarinense and Grande Oeste, the occupation reaches 100% and there are patients on the waiting list.
The decree was published last night in an extra edition of the Official State Gazette, with a retroactive date to June 1 and validity of 90 days. The emergency situation allows for more agility in the purchase of equipment, in the hiring of personnel and in the opening of ICU and back-up beds. The measure also facilitates the hiring of pediatric beds in the private network and the articulation of support to the municipalities.
The State Department of Health reported that it is working on opening 77 ICU beds and the rear. For the next few days, ten new beds are planned for adult ICU, six for neonatal ICU and eight for pediatric intermediate care. The other beds will be opened in a staggered way.
The burden on the health system, the state said, is due to the increase in respiratory illnesses associated with autumn and winter, and is not related to cases of covid-19. On Saturday morning, there were 31 people with covid-19 hospitalized in ICU beds across the state.
