Covid cases in Bauru increase and health units run out of rapid tests

Units in the municipal health network are without rapid Covid-19 tests and, although the city hall claims that no patient was left unassisted, Jornal da Cidade received reports of users who left UPAs without a diagnosis and were even advised to look for a private service and pay for the exam. The lack of input occurs amid the increase in cases of the disease in the municipality.

According to the São Paulo State government’s Seade Coronavirus platform, this year, until March 16, 1,015 cases and four deaths from Covid-19 were recorded in Bauru. Of this total, 430 patients were diagnosed in the last two weeks alone and two lost their lives due to worsening of the disease.

According to the Municipal Health Department (SMS), last week, there was a significant reduction in the volume of rapid tests sent by the State, however, the expectation is that the supply will be regularized in the coming days. In a note, the State Department of Health (SES) informed that the purchase of tests is not the responsibility of the state government alone, adding that municipalities have the autonomy to directly purchase the input.

NO DIAGNOSIS

A user of the UPA Ipiranga, who gave an interview on condition of anonymity, reports that she went to the unit at the beginning of this month with flu-like symptoms and, despite asking the doctor about the possibility of having Covid-19, she was not even subjected to a rapid test. , nor the RT-PCR test, which is processed by the Adolfo Lutz Institute, in São Paulo.

“The doctor said it could be an allergic crisis, that there was no Covid test in the unit and that I should look for a UBS the next day. He prescribed medication, told me to wear a mask and that was it,” he says.

Last week, another resident of the city, who also preferred not to identify herself, went to Geisel’s UPA with flu symptoms, in addition to a cough. According to the user, the unit was full and it was necessary to wait for three and a half hours before being called for medical assistance.

“Because of the cough and my asthma, the doctor asked for an X-ray and said he wanted me to take a Covid test, but the unit hadn’t received it for three weeks, nor did they have a dengue test. Therefore, he said that I would only be able to take the exam in the private network. He prescribed antibiotics and corticosteroids, because my bronchi were inflamed, but I didn’t know if it was Covid or not”, she laments, adding that, during the period she remained at the UPA, many patients gave up care due to the delay.

OTHER SIDE

By means of a note, the SMS informed that, recently, the Ministry of Health notified the municipalities about the shortage of rapid tests and, given the lack of these, doctors must collect the RT-PCR test and send it for analysis at the Adolfo Lutz Institute, with result published within five days. The ministry claimed that “no patient will stop being assisted” and that “the shortage occurs in primary care (Basic Health Units and Family Health Units)”, with no record of shortages in the UPAs.

The secretariat also informed that it acquired 3,500 NS1 tests to detect dengue, which would be distributed in all units by this Monday (18). The input had been requested in January, but, due to the increase in cases of the disease in the country, there was a delay in delivery by the company that won the bid.

SES highlighted that municipalities, in addition to being able to purchase rapid Covid-19 tests on their own, are also responsible for requesting them from the State. Shipping is done according to stock availability and, according to the ministry, this year, a shipment with 1,025 units was delivered to Bauru.

By JCNet