Health units in Bauru record the capacity of the Covid beds and the shortage of doctors

Bauru’s public health sector (SP) is going through a worrying moment due to the capacity of many of its units, whether due to increased demand from patients with Covid-19 or even a shortage of doctors.

According to the municipal health minister, Doctor Orlando Costa Dias, emergency care units (UPAs) in Bauru have again received a high demand from people with Covid-19 symptoms. According to him, this fact, combined with the high occupancy rates of intensive care beds in hospitals, can cause an overload of the system.

Among the units with alarming capacity, UPAs for Geisel/Redentor, Bela Vista and Mary Dota, and Covid Outpost (PAC), which this Friday (4) registered all available beds occupied with patients waiting to be transferred to hospitals in the area. Just last month, 15 people on the PAC waiting list died, according to the health department.

Overcrowding in the public health system is causing concern in Bauru

Since the beginning of this week, the emergency central room (PSC) and PAC have only returned to receive patients with Covid and multiple trauma cases. Patients with any other type of health problem should seek Basic Health Units (UBSs) and UPAs.

On Friday, PSC had 27 beds occupied, with five patients waiting for vacancies in the intensive care unit and 22 queuing for hospital nursing beds in the state. Another 13 patients were treated in CAP.

Regarding the physician shortage, the Health Department stated, in a statement, that “there has been a physician shortage at UPA Geisel/Redentor for some time and is trying to resolve this issue with the Regional Health Foundation (Fersb), which is responsible for the recruitment of these professionals.”

The memo also explains that on Friday, two doctors worked in the morning and only one in the afternoon. Because movement was great in the dispensary, emergency checks, Covid, routine care was severely affected.

City Hall explains that “the same capacity problem occurred at UPAs Bela Vista and Mary Dota, not due to a shortage of professionals, but due to a backlog of unassisted patients on Thursday”.