Sao Paulo, 15 Apr 2021 (AFP) – Brazilian authorities warned on Thursday of critical lack of intubation drugs in public health centers in the state of Sao Paulo and expressed concern about the risk of collapse in the middle of the second wave of the pandemic.
A report by the Council of Municipal Health Secretaries of the State of Sao Paulo (Cosems-SP) reveals that 68% of the centers of the municipal network do not have neuroblocks -necessary to relax the muscles during the intubation process- and 61% have run out of their reserves. sedative.
“The analysis of the data from April 13, compared to April 5, shows the worsening situation of intubation drug stocks,” the report said.
“We are sending letters to the Ministry of Health for 40 days with this alert and we are asking for help. (…) These are important medicines for sedating patients” who have to face intubation, said Sao Paulo Health Secretary Jean Gorinchteyn in a statement. an interview with GNews.
Gorinchteyn reported that a new shipment of drugs should arrive on Thursday, however he stressed that it is crucial to speed up the supply of drugs due to the demand generated by the large number of cases of covid-19 and blamed the Ministry of Health for making it impossible. purchasing tickets directly from manufacturers.
Sao Paulo Governor Joao Doria reported on Twitter that requests to the Ministry of Health “were ignored” and that his office was looking for alternatives to buy these drugs on the international market.
Brazil is experiencing an increase in the number of infections and deaths caused by covid-19 months.
Sao Paulo, the most populous state (45.9 million), has a moving average of 15,000 cases and 773 deaths a day, according to the Ministry of Health.
The state has 2.6 million cases and 85,475 deaths, with a rate of 186 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants, higher than the national average of 172 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants.
So far, 86.4% of the places in the intensive care units are occupied, and some hospitals have announced the reduction of beds due to lack of supplies.
In Rio de Janeiro and Minas Gerais, states also hard hit by Brazil’s second pandemic, there have also been reports of a lack of intubation drugs.
The local press reported on Wednesday that in a hospital in Rio de Janeiro it was necessary to tie a few patients who, still intubated, woke up due to lack of sedatives.
Brazil, with 212 million inhabitants, surpassed 360,000 coronavirus deaths on Wednesday and continues to be the second country with the absolute highest number of deaths, behind the United States (564,400).
pr / mel / yo
AFP