With the state expected to see an increase in hospitalizations of children suffering from Severe Acute Respiratory Syndromes (SARS) by September of this year, which has already been happening in some regions even before winter, the State Department of Health of Minas Gerais (SES- MG) approved the State Action Plan for Combating Respiratory Diseases in the area of Pediatrics. The decision was taken on April 29 of this year, with the publication of Deliberation 4,679 of the Bipartite Intermanagers Commission of the Unified Health System (CIB-SUS).
The matter was discussed this Friday, 3/5, during a CIB-SUS meeting held in Montes Claros. Among other objectives, the Plan intends to increase the number of pediatric beds in the hospital network, including new Intensive Care Units (ICUs). Currently, Minas Gerais has 3,401 pediatric beds, of which 2,634 are available for the Unified Health System (SUS).
On the other hand, a survey carried out by SES-MG in the National Registry of Health Establishments (CNES) shows that the state has 470 pediatric ICUs, 259 of which are dedicated to meeting SUS demands.
Intermediate pediatric care beds total 27 existing accommodations in the Center, Northeast and Vale do Aço regions. Of this total, four beds are available for the SUS.
In the North of Minas there are currently 229 pediatric beds of which 207 are available to the SUS in 32 hospitals. Also according to SES-MG, the region does not have intermediate care beds in pediatrics. On the other hand, the North of Minas has 16 pediatric ICU beds, of which 14 are destined to meet SUS demands in the following institutions: Hospital das Clínicas Dr. Mário Ribeiro da Silveira (10); Clemente de Faria and Santa Casa de Montes Claros University Hospitals (2 beds in each institution).
“As influenza is a seasonal disease and one of the causes of SARS, cases and deaths are expected every year. One of the main objectives for surveillance and the reduction of morbidity and mortality due to the disease; prevention and control actions that precede seasonality help to avoid serious cases and deaths”, warns the CIB-SUS Deliberation.
Given this situation, SES-MG points out that, in order for the state to overcome the care crisis resulting from Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, it will be necessary to expand or convert pediatric ICU beds through the municipalities’ adherence to Ordinance 3,556, published by Ministry of Health (MS) on April 18 this year. The ordinance establishes, on an exceptional and temporary basis, a financial incentive to cover the care of children with SARS, within the scope of medium and high complexity care services.
The following reference values are defined for daily bed rates in pediatric ICUs: R$2,600 for states in the Amazon region and R$2,000 for other states.
For Pediatric Pulmonary Ventilatory Support beds (SVP-P) the daily rate for states in the Legal Amazon is set at R$650.00 and R$500.00 for other states.
João Alves Pereira, coordinator of Health Care at the Regional Health Superintendence (SRS) of Montes Claros, explains that “states, municipalities and the Federal District that declare a public health emergency due to SARS will receive the financial incentive. Requests to the Ministry of Health must be forwarded by the state health secretaries through the Support System for the Implementation of Health Policies (SAIPS), accompanied by the presentation of the municipal, state or Federal District health condition; information on installed capacity and the number of beds to be expanded or converted; occupancy rate and indication of waiting for ICU beds”.
Prevention
During the CIB-SUS meeting, health managers from the SRS Montes Claros area of activity highlighted the importance of increasing clinical beds and pediatric ICUs in the North of Minas, in addition to the need for municipalities to reinforce prevention actions against respiratory syndromes acute cases, with the intensification of vaccination of children against influenza (flu), including in schools.
The health secretaries of Montes Claros, Janaúba and Taiobeiras, Dulce Pimenta, Helvécio Campos de Albuquerque and Marlon Halisson Cardoso Ramos, respectively, noted that, even before June and July, when the peak of acute respiratory syndromes occurs, health units and hospitals are overwhelmed with patient demands. Therefore, they understand that, in addition to vaccinating children in schools, other measures such as the use of masks by teachers and students must be adopted, aiming to reduce the transmission of diseases and, consequently, hospitalizations.
Vaccination
“Severe acute respiratory syndromes are caused by the predominance of influenza viruses types A and B; Respiratory Syncytial Virus; SARS-COV-2 (causing Covid); bacteria, fungi and other agents”, explains the coordinator of Health Surveillance at the Regional Health Superintendency of Montes Claros, Agna Soares da Silva Menezes.
To contain the spread of the syndromes, the coordinator recalls the need for people who are targeted for flu vaccination to seek immunization before the start of winter. The campaign continues until May 31st. To date, in the SRS area of activity, vaccination coverage is at 32.9%. The target recommended by the Ministry of Health is 90%.
This week the Ministry of Health expanded flu vaccination to the entire population from six months of age. However, the following are still part of the priority groups: children aged six months to under six years; indigenous children aged six months to under nine years of age; health workers; pregnant women; postpartum women; primary and higher education teachers; Indian people; elderly people aged 60 and over; homeless people; professionals from the Armed Forces, security and rescue forces; people with chronic non-communicable diseases and other special clinical conditions (regardless of age); people with permanent disabilities; truck drivers; collective road transport workers (urban and long-distance); port workers; employees of the deprivation of liberty system; population deprived of liberty; quilombolas; adolescents and young people under socio-educational measures (between 12 and 21 years old).
By Pedro Ricardo / Photo: Pedro Ricardo/SRS Montes Claros
Tags: Respiratory syndromes Montes Claros Regional managers evaluate expansion beds preventive measures
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