Just as it had already been advanced 4 days ago, the government of Acre declared an emergency due to an outbreak of Gripal Syndrome and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). The document was published this Friday (23) in the Official Gazette of the State. Governor Gladson Cameli listed that he made the decision based on serious cases, which are submitted to hospitalization in the ICU.
“Causing overcrowding and waiting for beds; considering that the aforementioned document reports low vaccination coverage in children, both for the influenza vaccine and the COVID-19 vaccine. Considering, finally, the need for the competent bodies and entities to adopt, on an emergency basis, all the administrative measures necessary to expand the assistance coverage in the scope of state public health”, he highlighted.
The document also says that the declaration of emergency is due to the abnormal situation “characterized as an emergency situation, due to the overcrowding of state health units caused by the outbreak of Influenza Syndrome and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome – SARS, a phenomenon classified and coded as biological natural disaster – epidemics – viral infectious diseases. The Secretary of State for Health (Sesacre) will coordinate the specific actions of the competent bodies and entities to face the emergency situation dealt with in this decree.”
The decree authorizes the adoption of urgent administrative measures that are necessary to restore the situation to normality. “The Secretary of State for Health is authorized to edit complementary acts necessary for the execution of urgent administrative measures to face the emergency situation dealt with in this decree.”
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Beds
To the g1, the State Health Secretary, Pedro Pascoal, warned that the beds have maintained an occupancy of 85% to 90%.
“This is a strategic action for us to get financial subsidy for resources in the health units. This is for us to be able to expand beds, attract professionals, to work shifts in the ICU and in the wards, and better resources to treat patients. Nothing got out of control, there is no child who is not being attended to, it is another strengthening”, he guaranteed.
According to data passed on by him, until Thursday (22), there were 52 children at the Children’s Hospital, and the unit has a capacity for 60. The forecast was that three of these patients would be discharged.
“We are within the 27th week, compared to last year, we were peaking in the 28th week. Our epidemiological curve shows that we will likely continue to rise for another two weeks. Today, what we mainly identify is Covid, Influenza and syncytial virus. If we have an effective immunization rate, we will remove one of these viruses from our focus. We have a bivalent vaccine for Covid, vaccination is important so that we avoid this co-infection ”, she advised.
157 deaths
Last Monday (19), during an interview with Jornal do Acre 1st Edition, the State Secretary of Health, Pedro Pascoal, had anticipated that the State would declare an emergency.
“There is already a whole articulation of our technical team with the Ministry of Health, so that we can obtain funding from the Union and that we have stronger actions for assistance. This reality is not only in Acre, it is nationwide. There are already public emergency decrees in other states and we will probably be decreeing them so that we can get this Union funding for the state of Acre ”, he anticipated.
A Sentinel Unit to monitor cases of respiratory syndromes was implemented by the State Department of Health of Acre (Sesacre) in the UPA of the Second District of Rio Branco to assist in monitoring amid discharge in cases of infection mainly by the influenza virus.
Pedro Pascoal pointed out that the research will make it possible to detect trends and the types of viruses that are causing infections. He said that the main concern is the association of three viruses that circulate in the region, respiratory syncytial, influenza and Covid-19.
“Once this child is affected by these three viruses, according to statistics, the outcome tends to be unfavorable. And the Sentinel Unit inaugurated in the UPA of the Second District serves for the Ministry of Health to have a real diagnosis, of the mutual involvement that happens in our population”, he highlighted.
According to a survey by Sesacre, carried out at the request of the g1, the state registered from January to the first half of June 157 deaths due to flu syndromes. The data are available in the SIVEP-GRIPE System, and do not specify the type of infection.
However, according to the InfoGripe Bulletin, released on Friday (16) by the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), Acre is among the five states that show signs of growth, in the long-term trend, in cases of Acute Respiratory Syndrome Severe (SARS) specifically in children.
This trend is already visible in health units, and the secretary once again warned of the importance of vaccination. Pascoal also advised the public to leave the capital’s emergency room for serious cars, and look for the UPAs at the onset of mild symptoms.
“During the Covid period, we talk a lot about vaccination. And we hope that the success applied during this period will be replicated now, we have numerous immunizers available, free of charge. Here is our appeal for the population to take their children”, she said.
chaos in public health
Last year, the state experienced a severe rise in hospitalizations due to flu syndromes, with at least 10 deaths of children due to serious cases, and with the occupation of beds reaching 90%.
In the last week of June of that year, of the 20 pediatric Intensive Care Units (ICUs) existing in the state, which were concentrated in Rio Branco, 18 were occupied, 11 due to flu syndrome and another seven due to other comorbidities.
In relation to pediatric wards, the state has 66 vacancies, 50 of which in Rio Branco, 39 were occupied. Most also due to flu syndrome (20).
In Juruá, where there are only beds for children, 16 in all, and until this Thursday, 11 were occupied. In Alto Acre, there are 12 adult beds that can be converted to pediatric beds as needed. There is no notification of a hospitalized child.
In the Emergency Room, pediatric observation has seven rooms available and six were occupied.
deaths of children
Families of children who died from flu-like illnesses came together and filed a lawsuit against the state, as they understood that there was negligence in the care of the victims.
In common, they reported that the babies were admitted to health units in the capital with flu-like symptoms, soon their condition worsened and there was no Intensive Care Unit (ICU) bed available for hospitalization. About this, the government said at the time that it would not manifest itself.
The 1st Public Prosecutor’s Office for the Defense of Health, of the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Acre opened a procedure to assess whether there was an omission in the care of children and the availability of pediatric beds, medicines and supplies from the state public network, intended for the care of affected children of respiratory viruses.
Who started the movement to try to bring together the parents of the victims was the public servant, Joelma Dantas, mother of little Théo Dantas, 10 months old, who died in the PS in the capital while waiting for an ICU vacancy at the Children’s Hospital. She said the idea is to unite the children’s families to seek justice.
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