Advance omicron variable Effects on care in hospitals and health units. on 20% of professionals in the region are on vacation to contract disease. at most 12 thousand Only in the municipal network and in private hospitals.
The new alternative has a rapid spread. Although symptoms are generally mild, great interest in omicron has to do with the effects it can cause.
According to the county, 5,500 professionals have been removed from the municipality’s network since December due to COVID-19.
“We have approximately 19% of our workforce on vacation due to Covid-19. Fortunately, we do not have any health workers in critical condition, they are all vaccinated with the third dose. The 7-day absence period has a huge impact on our work,” said the municipal health minister. Daniel Sorans, “People are being left out of all sectors.”
“Omicron is spreading very quickly, and that is always a concern. We expanded 1,200 specialists in December, and at the beginning of January another 400 specialists will join the network in the next 10 days, and we are doing our best to expand our operational capacity and not cause any kind of shortage of help in the network”.
6500 away in private network
The Rio de Janeiro State Hospital Association (AHERJ) calculates that 6500 professionals on vacation, only in 130 hospitals with agreements – representing 20% of the workforce.
This effect is caused by about 20% of absenteeism from work. Thus we have delays in this service, exhaustion of working teams and more difficulty in meeting this patient flow. So, it is important to contain this infection to avoid further damage, including in this bottleneck, which is an emergency and an urgency in private hospitals,” said AHERJ Director Gracho Alvim.
For the head of the doctors’ union, there is a “historic gap” in skilled labour.
“It has been a very difficult start to the year for us health professionals. Those of us who have already reduced the number of teams, within the strategy of family health, UPAs, hospitals, now with the new wave of Covid-19, said at the beginning of January, we had greater burden.”
“We are experiencing in all health units, in emergencies, in health clinics, a professionals gap, a historical gap, and it is now further exacerbated by sick colleagues and who have specifically recovered from Covid-19, potentially contracted at work. This leads to Losing more than 20% of the professionals on the front lines, at this moment, which is very missing. So, it is imperative that Rio de Janeiro City Hall hire more professionals and open more screening centers.”
Indeed, the head of the nurses’ union says the system is overburdened.
“These professionals are exhausted, both physically and emotionally, who have been overburdened since the beginning of the pandemic. Many cases are with the holiday of these workers suspended. But, thank God, the cases are mild, without seriousness. Far from Covid”, says the head of the nurses’ union Mônica Armada.
“Professionals need to recover, and it is very difficult to ensure help for a population with such a small number of professionals on the front lines.
On Tuesday (11), the city of Rio recorded more than 9,300 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in a single day – the highest number since the start of the pandemic.
To reduce problems in the service due to health professionals on leave, the city council has published an ordinance to expand the operational capacity of the teams.
Municipal public servants can now assist with work in screening and immunization centres. they will win 100 BRL per day.
“Many volunteers from other departments were already helping. And then we take advantage of this decree to be able to offset that help so that the person can get a supply of transportation, food and some other necessary costs,” Sorans said.
“As of today they can start, there are many employees already pre-registered, who are starting today. The ideal thing is that he does not use his working hours, but can negotiate with his immediate superior about it, and he can support him in testing and vaccination.”
The city of Rio is offering Covid testing at basic health units and at 13 other points around the city.
On Wednesday, it was another day of waiting lists at the Heitor Beltrau local health center, in Tijuca, in the Northern District.
Two new test centers opened this Wednesday, at Faculdade Capitão Lemos Cunha, in Ilha do Governador, and at Palacete Princesa Isabel, in Santa Cruz.
If guidance before a test is in the face of any doubt, the county today recommends avoiding seeking care, unless absolutely necessary.
“Right now we are asking people to avoid looking for a health unit, if that is not really necessary. It is not the time to do tests that are not really necessary, it is time for us to be vigilant, to avoid contamination, to avoid overburdening the health system, and within 15 One day, it will be much better than it is today.”
