After overloading laboratories, blood tests will be carried out at the Central Polyclinic in Varginha, MG | South of Minas

Blood tests will be carried out at a polyclinic to free up laboratories in Varginha (MG)

In an attempt to tackle the dengue epidemic in Varginha, the city hall announced measures to alleviate the pressure on local health services. One of the main changes involves carrying out blood tests at the Central Polyclinic, aiming to ‘relieve’ the overloaded laboratories. Last week, the use of the Children’s Hospital structure had already been announced as an alternative for care.

According to the State Department of Health of Minas Gerais (SES-MG), Varginha has more than 8,300 confirmed cases and 14 deaths under investigation.

During a session at the City Council, Mayor Vérdi Lúcio Melo (Avante) and the Secretary of Health, Adrian Nogueira Bueno, answered questions from councilors and highlighted the seriousness of the situation.

The mayor emphasized that Varginha is a hub city, serving not only local residents, but also residents of neighboring municipalities, which has contributed to the overcrowding of health services. He asked the population to take only one companion to health institutions, in order to facilitate care.

The Secretary of Health, Adrian Nogueira Bueno, explained that the decision to carry out blood tests at the Central Polyclinic is due to the overload in the laboratories, which were unable to meet the demand.

According to the secretary, services at the Central Polyclinic were not intended exclusively for dengue due to the normalization of Covid-19 services, which continue to take place.

The municipal management reported that the city recently experienced a collapse in the provision of laboratory services and it needed to be defined that blood tests will be carried out by the city hall at the Central Polyclinic. As planned, exams will be carried out in the morning and consultations in the afternoon.

“We have overcrowded laboratories, with many tests carried out per day, which are follow-up tests. The person does it once, then has to repeat it, and repeats it to carry out this follow-up and take it to the doctor to have control of the disease’s pathology. dengue”, informed the secretary.

In addition to assessing platelets, essential for diagnosing dengue, blood tests to assess hydration are also necessary, often on multiple occasions per patient.

Still during the session, another measure announced was the allocation of exclusive beds for dengue care at the Regional Hospital, ranging from 6 to 10 beds, to guarantee adequate care for the most serious cases of the disease.

The expected deadlines have not yet been announced by the city hall.

With Bom Pastor Hospital and the Emergency Care Unit (UPA) full, services continue to be provided in three parts of the city.

“We have three dengue care centers, which are in the Pinheiros neighborhood, in Imaculada and at Policlínica Central. We are already preparing to open a new dengue care center starting next week. We are in the team hiring phase professional to be able to provide even better care for the population of Varginha”, informed the Secretary of Health.